


Atlas

by TwilightHayley



Category: The Creatures (Youtube RPF)
Genre: Adult Content, Alternate Universe - Post-Apocalypse, Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Comfort/Angst, M/M, NovaHD - Freeform, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-04-25 21:22:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 74,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4977010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightHayley/pseuds/TwilightHayley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the midst of a post-apocalyptic world, Aleks finds a home and builds a life with someone he never expected to meet.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I: Walk into the Sun

 

_Some saw the sun, some saw the smoke._

_Caught in the fire, we’re about to explode._

_Carry your world; I’ll carry your world._

* * *

 

This was his last chance to survive, and he knew it.

It’s what drove Aleks on as his sore, bleeding feet pounded against the concrete of the highway, desperation and despair forcing him to his destination. His lungs burned, and his clothes were soaked in sweat, but he persevered. He was a dead man if he didn’t.

All he could hear was Cry’s voice in his head, his friend’s final words replaying over and over again. They’d been on their way to safety together, travelling to Cry’s home, until they’d been ambushed in the city. Dozens of infected had them surrounded, and they’d been forced to split up.  

_Find my survivor’s camp, and if we both make it out of here, I’ll see you there. Go!_

He had found Cry’s body two days later.

Aleks had been lost, having no knowledge about the survivor camp and little information about its location, but Cry’s journal had shown him the way. He had nothing now, and nothing to lose. Even if the survivors in the camp shot him on the spot, it was a better alternative to being bitten and turning into one of those _things_.

After miles of running across blank expanses of tarmac, dodging rusted, abandoned cars, Aleks felt like crying when he finally caught sight of the survivor camp. The darkness would have swallowed it whole if it wasn’t for the dimly lit, thirty-foot wall. Inside of it appeared to be a few buildings, but it was hard to make out.

He didn’t care about the details though; he cared about getting inside. He’d been alone in the dark for too long.

He slowed his pace as he approached, not wanting to look like a threat.

A resonating sound caught his attention immediately: a gun was being loaded, and it cracked through the silence of the night air.

Aleks came to a sudden halt, and raised his hands slowly. He squinted at the wall, but it was impossible to tell where the gunman was positioned. He knew it was likely that there was more than one.

“What do you want?” A voice barked, and Aleks visibly jumped at the man’s vocal volume.

“Refuge.” He answered honestly. What else was he supposed to say?

“How did you find us?” A different voice spoke up this time.

Aleks shifted on the spot, delaying his response. He didn’t want to mention Cry, but this had been his home, and he had trusted these people. He didn’t have a choice. “Cry told me about you.” He admitted.

There was a pause.

“Cry?”

Suddenly, there was a blur of movement atop the wall, and Aleks squinted, just about seeing a silhouette of a man - and a gun pointed in his direction. “How do you know Cry?” The shadow demanded.

Aleks glanced around nervously, not used to being exposed like this. “We met in Denver, and we started to travel here together.”

The man on the wall began to move closer to him, and Aleks could see the outline of a cap against the sheen of the moonlight behind him. “Where is he?” He demanded.

Aleks knew he had to be careful here. “We were ambushed…and Cry didn’t make it.”

The man came to a halt. He still wasn’t close enough for Aleks to see him clearly, so he didn’t continue, unsure how his words had been received.

“For fuck’s sake Jordan.” The loud guy was back, and his voice was a lot closer now. “He knew Cry. I’m letting him in.”

At the sound of a gate being opened, Aleks stumbled towards the noise, relieved. There was now a small slither of a gap in the wall, and he slid inside. He didn’t notice the men behind him closing the wall back up, too overwhelmed by what he had walked into.

Everything Cry had told him was true; the camp was a miniature town. There were buildings inside of the wall: a petrol station, a couple of boarded up shops, and one large structure in the centre, at least eight stories tall. The hotel sign was still intact on the front. He could also see what looked like a large filtration system in the grounds of the hotel, and there were large, powerful generators nearby.

He then noticed that there was a source of light, enough to illuminate the area by the wall entrance, and he finally turned to face the man who had let him inside.

The first thing he noticed was his eyes; brown, but there was a spark there that Aleks hadn’t seen in another human since the world had turned to hell. This man seemed to radiate energy, from the quirk of his eyebrow as he scrutinised Aleks in return, to the soft curve of his mouth. He was also _clean_ , apparent from his neatly trimmed beard and unsullied clothing. Even the beanie he was wearing looked spotless.

“James Wilson.” He offered his hand to shake, and Aleks noticed a hint of a tattoo sleeve as his jacket rose up his arm slightly.

He’d been starved of human contact completely; he hadn’t even shaken Cry’s hand when they’d met because he hadn’t wanted to. But there was no such resistance now, and he placed his hand in James’s.

The warm contact was a shock, and Aleks knew he was grasping James’s hand too tightly, but he couldn’t help it. “Aleksandr Marchant…but call me Aleks.” He responded, looking down at their joined hands.

When he saw blood etched into the lines of his hand, a sharp contrast to James’s unmarked skin, he quickly broke off the handshake. With a pang, he realised it was probably Cry’s.

“I’m Jordan Mathewson.” Aleks recognised the voice as the silhouette man, and he glanced over at him. Just like James, Jordan looked well-kept, from his boots to the red cap atop his head.

Aleks was relieved when Jordan didn’t attempt to shake his hand, and James did a mock salute. “Our fearless leader.” He said, and Aleks was momentarily taken aback by the sarcasm in his voice. He hadn’t heard that tone in so long.

Jordan rolled his eyes, and chose to ignore him. “Welcome to the Creatures Aleks. Are you armed?”

The sudden question took Aleks by surprise, but he quickly nodded, yanking up his trouser leg to show them both the long knife strapped to his calf.

“Do you have a gun?” Jordan asked, and he held out his hand expectantly.

“No.” He used to have one, before he’d been forced to flee the city where Cry had died, leaving most of his supplies behind.

“Backpack, then.” Jordan still had his hand outstretched.

Aleks hesitated at that demand. What he did have was everything he had left, and he wasn’t willing to give it up.

“We just have to check it over. Routine, I promise.” James said reassuringly, and Aleks relented, shrugging the bag from his shoulders. He ignored Jordan though, and passed it to James instead.

James had a quick glance over the contents but Aleks wasn’t concerned. He only owned a couple of items of clothing, an empty flask, a couple of throwing knives, and a book. Nothing of interest…

…until James withdrew Cry’s journal, clearly recognising it. “Can I…” He trailed off when he glanced over at Aleks, leaving the question unasked.

Aleks nodded his consent, and he watched James flip through the journal. He hadn’t been able to read half of it as some of the pages were coded. It appeared James could though, his face lighting up at some of the content, and he showed it to Jordan, who looked over at him.

“You and Cry were friends.” It was a statement, not a question.

“I guess we became friends, yeah.” Aleks replied with a shrug. Cry’s death was still fresh, so he didn’t say anything else. It was too soon.

Jordan seemed to understand though; Aleks gathered it was too soon for him as well, and then James passed the backpack and journal back to him.

“James will show you to your room. Just keep the knives away from the children, alright?” With that, Jordan nodded his head at him, and then ascended a ladder that was beside them, resuming his perch on the wall.

Aleks started at that, positive he’d misheard him. _Children?_

James must have seen his expression. “We have a population of one hundred and forty-six people, including twelve children.” He explained, and he began walking towards the hotel structure. “Well, I guess it’s one hundred and forty-seven now.”

“That’s a lot of people.” Aleks didn’t know what else he could say to that. He was amazed by the number, and he continued to be astounded as James filled him in on camp life as they entered the hotel. Most of it he didn’t hear, still overwhelmed by the grandeur of the camp.

After a couple of flights of stairs, they walked down a candle-lit corridor until James stopped outside one of the hotel rooms: room 307. He pushed open the door, and gestured for Aleks to enter first.

He did so, and his eyes immediately landed on the double bed in the middle of the medium-sized room. He couldn’t remember the last time he had slept in one, and he approached it cautiously, reaching out a hand to touch the frame.

He turned around to thank James, but he had gone.

At a loss, Aleks sat down, not realising how exhausted he was until he was sitting on the comfortable bed. He toed off his boots, wincing when he saw that his skin was red raw, and tucked them into his backpack. He yanked off his hooded sweater, realising that the bed had no blanket, and decided to use that to sleep with instead.

Before he could lay down, James appeared in the doorway, holding a small basin of water in one hand and what looked like clothing in the other. “We’re low on supplies at the moment.” He said apologetically. “We used a bit too much water this month so we’re trying to ration it, and as you’ve probably noticed, we’ve run out of blankets too.” He set the basin down on the chest of drawers beside the bed, and then handed over the clothes.

Aleks accepted the items gratefully, seeing that James had provided him with a new t-shirt, and a set of underpants. Underneath it all was a protein bar, which he tore into quickly as James began to tell him more about camp life.

“It takes a lot of us to help run this place so you’ll be roped into doing all kinds of duties, from patrol to laundry to cooking.” He explained as Aleks ate. “And if you’re skilled in combat, you’ll join us on supply runs to other cities. You think you’d be up for that?”

“I’ve been by myself for years, and I’m still alive.” Aleks said in response.

He was surprised when James’s face broke out into a grin at his remark, the gesture startling him. He’d forgotten how to smile a long time ago, and he was sure that everyone else had forgotten to as well. Apparently not.

“Straight to the point, I like it.” James replied, still smiling. “I think you and I will be good friends.”

Aleks had forgotten how to be a good friend too, but before he could say anything, James straightened up and backed away to the door. “I’ll bore you with more camp details tomorrow, but now you need to rest. Someone will wake you for breakfast in the morning.”

Aleks could do nothing but nod, and James left. It was only when he shut the door behind him that Aleks realised he’d forgotten to thank him.

He wasn’t used to feeling this human, and it scared him slightly.


	2. II: Unspoken

Aleks was jostled awake in the morning by a hand shaking his shoulder, and his survival instincts kicked in instantly. He rolled out of the way, dropping to a crouch to pull his knife out from the strap attached to his leg.

It took him a moment to realise that he hadn’t been sleeping rough in the street, that he was in a hotel room, and that he was in no danger from the man standing over him.

“You okay there Aleks?” Jordan asked, looking a little amused by the display.

“Habit.” Aleks muttered, straightening up once he’d tucked his knife away. He knew it would take a while to adjust to this new way of life, and knew he’d be waking up every morning in the same way until he’d broken out of the habit.

“We’re serving breakfast now, if you’d like to join us.” Jordan left the room, and Aleks quickly followed him, adjusting his rumpled clothing. They passed a couple of other campers on the stairs, and they both smiled warmly at Aleks. He didn’t know how to smile back, but he nodded at them in greeting.

“We eat our meals in the basement of the hotel because it’s soundproof. It also keeps the smell away from the infected.” Jordan explained, pushing open a heavy metal door, which revealed another staircase.

As they began to descend, the large basement came into view, and Aleks was surprised at the size. There were no windows, but the room was well-lit, thanks to the large generator in the corner. There appeared to be a small kitchen area, and the room was dominated by tables of people, all talking and eating together.

It was surreal to see so many humans gathered in one place, and Aleks had to pause on the stairs to take it all in. He was glad he’d washed last night, not wanting to look out of place amongst these people.

Suddenly, there was a sound that Aleks hadn’t heard before. Laughter.

His eyes immediately scanned the room, looking for the source, when he heard it again. There was no mistaking the rich peal of laughter and that voice – it was James, and he found him sitting at a table with another guy. The grin on his face was infectious, and Aleks felt his lips twitch, even though he couldn’t hear what James was saying.

Jordan had already begun to make his way over to the table, so Aleks hurried down the steps and caught up with him.

“About time you got your lazy asses out of bed.” James remarked as they joined the table, and Aleks slid into the seat opposite him. He was still astounded by the humour radiating from the man, and couldn’t think of a reply. Not even Cry with his dry wit had managed to make him smile. He had no idea why James could do it so easily, but as he looked around the room, he saw other people doing it too. Children giggled as they chased each other around empty tables, women were smiling as they cooked, and Aleks felt disconnected from each and every one of them.

James drew his attention before he could dwell on it too much, and he placed a plate down in front of him. “Sorry, it’s not much. We’re due a supply run.”  He told him, but what Aleks saw was everything. A glass of clean water, a small pile of hot beans, and a thin strip of bacon.

“You have fresh meat?” He whispered, hardly believing his eyes.

“Occasionally. We have a farm.” Jordan replied, digging into his own breakfast.

“Thank fuck the zombies didn’t kill every animal.” James said cheerfully, and then he turned to the blonde man Aleks didn’t recognise. “Are you going to introduce yourself then asshole?”

“Seamus.” He gave Aleks a quick nod, and then returned his gaze back to his breakfast.

He was grateful for the bluntness, being more familiar with that. “Aleks.” He said, and then followed suit, finally tasting his breakfast for the first time.

Jordan and Seamus began to talk about a plan for the next supply run, but Aleks wasn’t listening, too focused on his breakfast. He hadn’t eaten something with this much flavour in so long, and he was savouring the moment. Occasionally he glanced up when James made a sharp retort, but otherwise zoned out.

Once he’d finished, he pushed his plate away, and returned his gaze to James. He remembered that he still hadn’t thanked him, and quickly decided to rectify that.

“James.” He said quietly, attempting to draw the man’s attention away from the others. It worked, and James glanced curiously at him.

Aleks bit his lip, slightly nervous. He hadn’t formed words like this in a long time. “I…I just wanted to say thank you, for everything you did for me last night.” He began, fiddling with the hem of his fraying t-shirt. “I think I owe you my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” James replied lightly. “Three days into cleaning duty, you’ll be wishing I’d never let you into camp.”

Aleks knew he was joking, but he still hadn’t remembered how to react to humour. “I don’t think that will happen.” He stated flatly.

James’s smile wavered. “It was a joke.”

“I know. I’ve forgotten how to do that.” Aleks admitted, looking down at the table.

“You’ll remember. I did, we all did.” James said firmly, sounding confident in his words. “No point in all of us sitting around here moping.”

Aleks looked up at him, surprised. “You’re right.” He realised aloud. The behaviour of the campers made sense now. “What can I do? To help, I mean.”

“Ask Seamus. Jordan may be in charge, but Seamus knows more than him.”

That paused the conversation Jordan was having with Seamus, and he glared at James. “What did you just say?” He demanded, but there was no real anger in his voice.

The three broke out into brotherly bickering then, which Aleks stayed out of. He listened intently however, and found that he couldn’t stop staring at James’s open smile.

~O~

Aleks wasn’t the type to sit around all day, and it appeared the others weren’t like that either. Shortly after breakfast, James and Jordan left to start preparing for the supply run, and Aleks shadowed Seamus for a few hours as he performed his daily duties, giving him a tour of the camp as he went.

Once he was certain that he had the layout of the camp committed to memory, Aleks left Seamus to go off on his own, but not before agreeing to join the night patrol that evening. He walked around the camp again, trying to identify any weaknesses in the stronghold, but there didn’t seem to be any. The wall seemed to be impenetrable.

He ended up in the animal farm, watching the pigs and chickens in their pens. He noticed a man collecting eggs, and went over when he saw that the guy was struggling to carry them all.

“Thanks man.” He said gratefully, passing some to Aleks when he offered his hands. “Forgot to grab the basket.”

“No problem.” Aleks gathered the eggs against his chest, and they left the pen, the man side-eyeing him as they walked. He had to crane his head though, being significantly shorter than Aleks.

“I don’t think I recognise you.”

“I’m new. I arrived here last night.” Aleks replied, not bothering to add anything else. He didn’t need to keep bringing up Cry’s name. “I’m Aleks.”

“Joe.” He stopped by a small shed, and opened it up to place the eggs inside. Aleks followed suit, and placed them in one of the baskets. “Fancy helping me muck out the pens? Spencer’s abandoned me.”

Aleks had nothing better to do, and he wanted to help in any way he could. He agreed, and the two headed back to the pens, armed with a pitchfork and a bucket.

They didn’t speak whilst they worked, but the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. It was what Aleks was used to, and it was a comfort. They exchanged a few words when they took a break to get something to eat, but it was only about the other duties in camp.

When the sun began to set in the sky, Aleks knew he was needed elsewhere, and he bid Joe goodbye to head to the entrance of the camp to begin night-watch. He soon found Seamus, who gave him a sniper rifle, and he pointed out certain parts of the wall that would need a lookout.

Before he could tell him where he would be stationed tonight, Aleks heard the rumble of a car engine, and turned around to see a truck rolling to a stop beside him. One of the windows was rolled down, and Aleks squinted inside to see James sitting behind the wheel.

“Hey newbie.” He said cheerfully. “Wanna ride?”

Aleks initially felt surprised when he saw the working vehicle, but quickly suppressed it. “Where are you going?” He asked, peering into the truck. There was a man sitting next to James in the passenger seat, but Aleks didn’t recognise him.

“Supply run.” James answered, picking his beanie up from the dashboard and pulling it over his head, concealing his black curls. “You in? It’s a thrill.”

Aleks regretted signing up for night-watch now. “Next time.” He promised. “I’m on patrol tonight.”

“Have fun with that. I’d rather-“

James was suddenly cut off by the man beside him. “Can we go now?” He interjected, his British accent a sharp contrast to James’s resonant voice. “I’m not getting any younger here.”

James’s reply was his middle finger. “Sorry about Dexter, he always gets nervous before a run. Better go before he shits his pants.”

“You motherfucker.” Dexter fumed, and James’s laughter was cut off when he rolled up the window.

Aleks took a step back, and watched James drive towards the open entrance. Seamus and a couple of the other campers began to close it back up once the truck was through, but Aleks climbed the wall instead, wanting to see where James was heading.

He watched as the truck began to drive down the highway. The lights were off, but somehow James was able to navigate around the abandoned vehicles on the road with ease, despite the sky darkening to its usual black palette.

Soon the gathering mist enfolded the truck into its smog, and Aleks couldn’t see it anymore.

He sat back in his perch, and waited for dawn.  


	3. III: Blinding

Night patrol turned out to be uneventful; Aleks did nothing but stare out into the darkness. There was nothing out there, therefore there was nothing to do.

When dawn finally broke, James still hadn’t returned. A woman relieved Aleks of his post, and he passed his sniper over to her before descending the ladder. He couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy by James’s prolonged absence, and then mentally scolded himself. He was at the camp to survive, not to connect with these people. It was too dangerous to keep close ties – and he should know.

But his apprehension, as hard as he tried to fight it, remained. To distract himself, he headed to the basement to get breakfast, knowing sleep would continue to evade him whilst he felt like this. Once he’d been served his food at the counter, he scanned the room until he saw a familiar face. He caught a glimpse of a red cap, and walked over to join Jordan at his table.

“Mind if I sit here?” He asked hesitantly.

“Not at all.” Jordan replied, leaning back against his chair as Aleks took a seat opposite him. “How was night patrol?”

“It was alright.” Aleks wasn’t about to complain about the monotony of it to the leader of the camp.

“Liar.” Jordan stated, grinning. “It’s one of the most boring duties, but it’s necessary. Are James and Dexter back yet?”

His unease grew a little. “No. Should they have been back by now?” Aleks tried to make his voice nonchalant, but didn’t think he’d succeeded. He began to cut up his breakfast, hiding his expression.

“It depends. I’ve sent them a little further afield this time. Supplies are getting scarce here so we’re trying to branch out.” Jordan broke off to take a bite from his food, and Aleks could feel his eyes on him.

He was likely waiting for a reply, but Aleks didn’t want to give one, so Jordan continued after a short pause. “I’ve sent two of the best though, so I know they’ll be back soon.”

“Do you go with them?” Aleks had thought of that question yesterday, but hadn’t had the chance to ask it.

“Sometimes. There are a group of us, and we take it in turns. Less chance of losing someone that way.”

Aleks stilled, and his mind immediately flooded with memories of his former friend. _You lost Cry._ He couldn’t help but think bitterly. The food in his mouth tasted unpleasant all of a sudden, and he shoved his plate away, no longer hungry.

“It still happens though.” Jordan said quietly, and Aleks realised something in his body language must have given his train of thought away. “You probably know what happened to Cry when he was with us.”

“You guys were ambushed, and you never came back for him.” Aleks said flatly, although he regretted his tone when Jordan shot him a pained look, visibly flinching at the words.

“No, that isn’t…that isn’t quite what happened.” Jordan took a deep breath, steadying himself before he continued. “Cry was on a run with James and me when it happened. We’d been careless, and the infected found us quickly, so we were forced to split up. I found James hours later, but Cry had disappeared.”

Aleks hadn’t known that Jordan and James had been the ones with Cry, and it shocked him that they’d abandoned their friend, considering how much they both cared about comradery. He was about to ask why, but then Jordan continued.

“James wanted to stay to look for him, but we were still being hunted. At this point, we had no ammunition left, and we had to get back home with the food supplies, so we left. We returned to the city the next day, but we couldn’t find him.” Jordan lowered his gaze to the table, and his next words were a whisper. “I gave up hoping then, and we didn’t come back after that.”

There wasn’t much that Aleks could think of to say to that, except the one thing that mattered. “Cry never blamed you.” He admitted quietly. “He was trying to make it back to you when he found me. Told me you were his family.”

Jordan blinked, visibly stunned by Aleks’s words. After a few moments, his face cleared, and his eyes were lighter. “He was one of my best friends.” He revealed, before clearing his throat. “So how long did you and Cry travel together?”

“Only a few weeks.” It hadn’t been enough time to forge a strong friendship, but Aleks was still grieving for him. He couldn’t imagine how Jordan must be feeling. “We were only about ten miles from here when…” He couldn’t bear to finish his sentence, unwilling to burden Jordan with details of their friend’s death.

“Thank you.” He said instead. “Thank you for letting me into your camp.”

Jordan waved his hand, dismissing his words. “You don’t need to thank me. You’re part of the family now.”

Aleks desperately wanted to refute his words, still too fearful of forging relationships with these people, but Jordan’s earnest expression made him keep his mouth shut.

~O~

Two days passed, and the truck still hadn’t returned. Seamus and Jordan didn’t seem to be concerned, so Aleks tried to follow their lead, attempting to keep his trepidation at bay. He’d been introduced to most of the campers by now, and he knew it was hopeless trying to keep a distance from these people. He was part of the team now, he’d formed ties, and there was nothing he could do about it.

They all paled in comparison to James though. There was still laughter and light conversation around camp, but no one held his attention like James had done. He didn’t know him at all, but he’d felt comforted by his boisterous demeanour and sharp humour when he’d arrived. He had just been too startled by everything at the time to realise it.

Aleks was outside of the hotel scrubbing clothes in a basin with Spencer when he heard it: the unmistakable sound of a car engine.

He dropped the brush he was holding, splashing Spencer as it hit the water, and he watched as Jordan and Seamus ran across the courtyard to open the gate.

“We hit the jackpot boys!” He heard James yell, and Aleks rose to his feet as the truck pulled up inside the camp. “We’ve got food, we’ve got drinks, we’ve got medical supplies...and more importantly we’ve got clothes!”

As Jordan and Seamus began to unload the truck’s contents, James and Dexter emerged from the vehicle. To Aleks’s dismay, James’s clothing was covered in blood, and he had a couple of cuts on his arm. Otherwise, apart from looking exhausted, he appeared to be fine.

Suddenly, James met his gaze. “Hey newbie, come here!” He waved him over, and Aleks immediately began to walk over to him, watching as he retrieved something from the backseat of the truck. “I’ve got a present for you.”

Aleks caught the bag that was suddenly launched at him, and he shot James a look before taking a cautious peek inside. He saw a couple of items of clothing that appeared to be his size, but it was the purple hoody at the bottom that grabbed his attention, and he pulled it out.

“It’ll be autumn in a few weeks, can’t let you freeze to death in that shitty old hoody of yours.” James said, grinning.

Aleks squinted at the hoody. It did look warm, but it was also… “Purple.” He stated aloud.

“Ungrateful shit.” James replied cheerfully, and Aleks swiftly tried to make amends, even though he knew that he was being facetious.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“-It was a joke, Aleksandr.” 

Aleks hoped one day he’d be able to hold a conversation with this man without making it awkward or making an ass of himself. “Thank you.” He said reverently, clutching the hoody to his chest. “This means a lot.”

It could have been his imagination, but James looked a little embarrassed. “It’s no problem.” He said modestly, and then he looked away, turning his attention to Spencer. “Don’t think I’ve forgotten about you princess!” He called, tossing a blue jacket over to him.

“I’m the one who risked my arse for those clothes, why the fuck are you taking all the credit?” Dexter demanded, leaning against the side of the truck. Aleks had forgotten that he and James weren’t alone out here. “I’m the one who cleared out the shop!”

“Yeah, and then you spent all your time in there looking at blazers for yourself asshole. I was the one who got clothes for everybody.” James reminded him, picking up the last box of supplies from the truck bed.

“I only looked at those suits for five minutes you prick!” Dexter argued, following James into the hotel.

Aleks could still hear them bickering from inside, and he looked down at the hoody in his hands, wondering when he would remember how to have a conversation like that. He envied James’s discernible positivity and jaunty speech.

_Speak of the devil…_

“Aleks, stop fondling those clothes and come and help me unload!” He heard James bellow, and he looked over at the hotel to see him standing in the doorframe, waiting for him. 

Aleks felt the corners of his mouth rise up at James’s impatient words. It wasn’t enough for a smile, but it was good enough for now. 


	4. IV: Ray of Light

A couple of days quickly turned into one month, and Aleks could hardly believe that he’d been in the camp for that long. The days blurred together as the weather grew colder, and the continuous labour kept him too busy to notice the passing time.

He had to admit that it was nice being able to live in one place, where he didn’t have to keep looking over his shoulder every few seconds. However, he wouldn’t let himself be fooled into the notion that everything was fine, as desperately as he wanted to. God forbid he made a home here and then had to watch as everything fell apart, as it usually did.

It was easy to pretend though that he was living a semblance of a normal life again, and one person was mainly responsible for that.

He’d made friends in camp, but one person in particular served as a beacon, the only light in the bleak detritus world they were forced to live in. He didn’t know if it was James’s light-hearted conversation or his warm, buoyant demeanour, but he always found himself drawn to him, like a moth to a flame. Standing beside him, listening to James joke around with the other survivors let Aleks forget, just for a little bit. He embraced feeling ordinary again.

He was still unable to contribute to conversation in the way that James could, but that was okay for now. He was being brought out of his shell, and whilst he was still clinging whole-heartedly to it, James was beginning to win the battle.

~O~

After an afternoon of supply stock-taking, Aleks was relieved when the dinner bell finally rang, and he headed down to the basement. As he was served his food, he scanned the tables, seeking out James.

He found Joe and Spencer first, and they waved at him. There was a seat left at their table, which Aleks briefly considered sitting in – until he spotted James sitting a few tables away from them, eating with Jordan and Dexter.

He raised his hand to them, half in greeting, half in apology, and then walked past their table to slide into the empty seat beside James. The chair next to him had been vacant for the last few days, and Aleks wondered if it was meant for him.

The trio were embroiled in one of their infamous brotherly quarrels, as usual, but James withdrew from the conversation to acknowledge Aleks’s presence. “Where the fuck have you been all afternoon?” He asked cheerily. “You missed all the fun. Dan accidentally let a chicken out so about thirty of us had to try to capture it.”

“Sorry I missed that.” Aleks replied honestly. “I was doing inventory.”

“Should have guessed. You’re covered in dust.” James lifted his hand, and casually swept his fingers across Aleks’s cheek.

To his credit, Aleks didn’t flinch, unbothered by the subtle touch. He sneezed though, and James laughed as he pulled his hand away.

“You’ve got some in your hair too mate.” Dexter added helpfully.

He reached forward to help him out too, but Aleks ducked out of the way before he could make contact, running his own hand through his hair to brush out the dust.  He wasn’t comfortable enough around the others yet.

Dexter didn’t comment on Aleks’s rebuff, and he resumed his conversation with Jordan, with James pitching in every now and again. Aleks listened half-heartedly as he ate his meal, content not to contribute anything.

Until James jostled him with his arm, drawing him in. “Back me up here Aleks.”

Fortunately Aleks had just finished his last mouthful, and he pushed his plate away. “What are you arguing about now?” He asked, one eyebrow raised, having lost track of the discussion.

“I’m not arguing, I’m just defending my opinion to these idiots.” James corrected him, grinning wickedly.

“So, arguing then.” Aleks replied bluntly, feeling his lips twitch when James placed his hand over his heart in mock-hurt.

“You wound me Aleksandr.”

Aleks had to bite his lip before he was tempted to smile, and James sighed. “Jordan won’t let me go on the supply run tonight.” He muttered, clearly disgruntled.

Aleks cast his gaze to Jordan, who had a swift response in place. “You’re not in any state to go. You haven’t had any sleep in the past 48 hours.”

This was news to Aleks, and he frowned slightly, concerned. Before he could say anything, Dexter piped up.

“I’d rather you _not_ get us all killed, ta.”

James looked set to dispute his friend’s words, but Aleks quickly stepped in before he could. “I’m afraid the guys are right. You’d be a liability.” He told him, the urge to smile growing when James pouted. To see a fully grown man visibly sulking was absolutely ridiculous, and he had to bite his lip again to supress a smirk.

“Thanks for having my back.” James said sullenly.

“Anytime.” Aleks replied cheerfully. “It’s okay though, you can have the privilege of joining me for night-watch tonight instead.”

“The privilege?” James snorted, but now he was grinning, his bad mood forgotten. “I don’t like you that much.”

“Fuck you dude.” The words fell easily from Aleks’s lips, and he knew he’d crossed one of the last barriers into normalcy. “I was only offering you the position of wingman out of pity anyway.”

“Fuck you asshole!”

Aleks couldn’t subdue his smile any longer. His internal dam broke, and he felt his lips curve up into a smirk. _Finally_.

His reaction went unnoticed by Jordan and Dexter, but he noticed James’s brilliant smile in response.

~O~

Despite his complaints, James joined Aleks on night-watch that evening. Seamus stationed the two of them on the hotel roof, arming them with two snipers. They were completely alone up there, and everything around camp was silent.

Being out of earshot of the other guards allowed the two young men to spend some time talking about anything and everything. It was easy to forget the world around them, and Aleks could pretend for a while that they were just two normal guys star-gazing on the roof of their home.

Soon a natural silence befell them, and Aleks welcomed that too, enjoying just being in James’s company. He soon grew bored of staring out at the distance, and turned his head discretely to gaze at James instead.

He got caught though, because James was already looking at him. “You made a joke earlier.” He remarked, interrupting the stillness.

Aleks chose to be flippant, not wanting it to be made into a big deal. “Did I?”

“You’ve been doing it all night too.” James continued, ignoring his dismissive tone.

“Surprised you heard me over the sound of your own voice.” The quip was instant; Aleks didn’t even need to think about it. He was beginning to sound like his old self, behaving like the man he’d been before the world had turned to shit.

James quirked his eyebrow, clearly amused, and Aleks quickly looked down, suddenly finding his tattoo sleeve very interesting. He didn’t know why, but he felt a little embarrassed.

“I was like you, when I first arrived here.”

That wasn’t the reply he thought he’d get, and Aleks raised his head to glance curiously at him.

He wasn’t finished. “The things I’d seen…the things I’d done…I’d forgotten what it was like to smile, to laugh, to just feel something other than pain.” Now it was James who looked away, staring unseeingly into the distance. Aleks didn’t dare breathe, for fear of interrupting him. He’d never seen this side of James before.

“But after a little while, I felt alive again. I realised I had a duty to the people who had taken me in, and I recovered the humanity that I’d repressed.” James blinked, returning to the present, and he met Aleks’s gaze. “Living here doesn’t compare to what life used to be before all that shit happened, of course, but these people are my family now, and this is my home. It’s your home too, if you want it to be.”

Aleks didn’t know how to reply to that, but he pondered over the words. James had been in the same position as him, and he had overcome his demons. It gave Aleks a glimmer of hope, and he chose to share something too. “I’ve been on my own for so long.” He whispered. “It’s…it’s hard, but I’m trying.”

James gave him a reassuring smile, and he settled back into his chair, his eyes drifting shut. “You’ll get there.” He murmured tiredly.

“Sleeping on the job now?” Aleks said in jest, wanting to change the ambience of the conversation into something lighter.

“Shit, sorry.” James opened his eyes, and swiftly sat upright in his chair. As he rubbed his face, Aleks caught sight of the deep circles under his eyes in the glow of the moonlight.

Before he could stop himself, he reached out and touched James’s arm.

The gesture surprised them both. Aleks hadn’t tried to initiate any kind of human contact since he’d been here, and James seemed to know that. Their eyes locked for a moment, and then Aleks looked down, realising his fingers were now wrapped around his friend’s forearm.

What was intended as a comforting touch had turned into something else, and Aleks hastily straightened up, releasing his grip on James. “Sleep dude, you look exhausted.” He said quietly. “I’ve got your back.”

James gave him a grateful smile, and closed his eyes. Aleks was relieved that he’d chosen not to comment on what had just happened, and he watched as his breathing evened out. He fell asleep within minutes; Jordan hadn’t lied about James’s recent lack of sleep.

Aleks returned his gaze to the horizon, feeling lighter than he had in years.


	5. V: Let's get Lost

On the morning that marked his two-month stay at the camp, Aleks didn’t flinch awake and reach for his knife like he usually did when the morning bell rang, and he knew he was finally settling into camp life.

He headed down to the basement for breakfast, the usual start to his routine, and he immediately searched the throngs of people for James as he was served his meal. To his disappointment, he was nowhere in sight.

Aleks couldn’t see Jordan either, but he spotted Spencer and Joe who were sitting together, and decided to join them whilst he waited for James.

“Look who’s decided to grace us with his presence today.” Spencer quipped in greeting as Aleks sat down in the chair opposite his.

Whilst Aleks had exchanged plenty of insults with James, all routed in humour, he still didn’t feel comfortable enough to joke around with the other creatures yet. “What’s up guys?” He replied instead, ignoring the jibe as he unwrapped his protein bar.

“Nothing much, unless you feel like helping us with babysitting duty.” Joe gave him a sly smile, clearly trying to be persuasive, and Aleks hesitated.

He did have a free morning, but there was a reason why he hadn’t volunteered to look after the children yet – he had no idea how to interact with them. “What does that entail?” He asked cautiously.

“Entertaining them, mostly. We were thinking of putting on a scavenger hunt around the courtyard, and the prize could be the soft toys we picked up on the supply run last week.” Spencer replied, leaning back in his chair. “Do you think you could use that big brain of yours and write down some clues for the kids?”

That sounded simple enough, and Aleks accepted the old leaflet and pen Joe pushed his way to jot down a couple of rhymes.

So involved in his work, he jumped when someone sat down in the chair next to his, leaning into his personal space. “Finding the first clue will be a treat, look for it when you get something to eat.” He heard James recite, and Aleks quickly covered the words he’d written with his hand.

Without looking up from the paper, he shoved James with his elbow, not an easy feat when they were practically sitting shoulder-to-shoulder. “Nosey fucker.” He muttered, but he smiled, taking the edge off his words.

He felt James drape his arm over the back of his chair. “What the fuck are you writing?”

Aleks ignored him, too wrapped up in his craft, and he waved his hand in the air, gesturing for the other guys to explain.

“We’re doing a scavenger hunt for the kids this morning.” He heard Joe explain. “Want to join us? The children keep saying how much they miss you.”

“Can’t really say no now, can I?” James replied, just as Aleks finished the last clue. Satisfied, he folded the leaflet up and passed it to Joe.

Now he could finally greet James properly, and he swivelled in his seat to face him. What he saw though made him grimace. James’s face was worryingly pale, and the bags under his eyes were more defined than usual. He looked unwell, and Aleks was immediately concerned as James was due to go on a supply run that night.

“You look like shit dude.” He remarked, studying him intently.

James shifted under his intense gaze, and he removed his hand from Aleks’s chair to fold his arms across his chest. “Way to make a man feel good about himself.” He joked, but Aleks could tell he was masking something underneath his smile.

Aleks leaned closer, and now he was the one gripping the back of James’s chair as he took a careful look at his friend. James blinked in surprise at the sudden proximity, but didn’t move away.

James’s red-rimmed eyes soon gave away the problem, and Aleks frowned unhappily. “Did you get any sleep last night?” To his dismay, it was beginning to become a recurring problem.

James looked away, and moved his chair slightly, enough to put some distance between them.  “Not really.” He muttered.

The offhand comment threw Aleks, and he could only look on in confusion as James began a new conversation with Spencer and Joe, ignoring him completely.  

~O~

During the scavenger hunt, Aleks chose to stick to the background, letting the others do the brunt of the work as they ran around with the kids. This allowed him to study James in more depth, trying to figure out the underlying problem that was causing his lack of sleep.

When the prize was eventually discovered, James put down the child he’d been giving a piggyback to, and Joe and Spencer led all of the kids away.

As James straightened up, Aleks noticed him wince. He marched over to him, taking him by surprise as he suddenly loomed up in front of him. He’d had enough of doing nothing.

“Alright, spill it.” He demanded. “What’s up with you?”

James purposely avoided his gaze, and that hurt. “Nothing’s up.” The lie was obvious, and Aleks’s sharp eyes caught him subtly touching his back.

“You’ve hurt yourself.” He realised quietly, and his reaction was instant. He reached out to him before he could think about it, wanting to console him.

But he didn’t get the chance to. James glared at him and Aleks froze, his hand hovering uncertainly in the air.

“I’m fine, it’s no big deal.” James muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “I just have a bad back.”

Finally Aleks knew the reason, but he wasn’t happy about it. “How long have you been in pain?” He hissed, startling James with the anger in his voice.

“I’ve had it for a few months.” At Aleks’s furious expression, James quickly continued. “Honestly, I’m fine. Most days my back doesn’t hurt at all.”

But nothing he could say could waver Aleks’s concern. “And you’ve been working your ass off every day, even though you’ve been suffering.” He said flatly, narrowing his eyes.

James blinked, unsure where this conversation was leading. “Um…yes?”

“You fucking idiot.” Aleks had to fight the urge to punch him for being so foolish.  “Have you taken any medication?”

“You’re joking, right?” James asked, astounded. “I’m not going to waste valuable resources on something minor like that.”

“You need to take better care of yourself.” _Thank God you’ve got me._

He left that part unspoken though, and he spun around to locate Spencer, who was on the other side of the courtyard with the children. “Hey Spencer!” He hollered, getting his attention. “Let Jordan know I’ll be replacing James on the supply run tonight.”

Spencer shot him a thumps up in response. Satisfied, Aleks returned his gaze to James, who was shaking his head. “No fucking way.”

“You’re not putting yourself in danger tonight.” Aleks said firmly, his mind made up. “I won’t let you.”

Perhaps that had been the wrong thing to say. “You can’t tell me what to do.” James looked angry now, and Aleks quickly corrected his wording.

“I’m your friend, and I’m trying to protect you.” He told him gently, attempting to appease him by manipulating his emotions.

It seemed to work, and James visibly deflated at his words. Aleks sensed victory, and he went in for the kill. “I’ll go in your place tonight. I can handle myself, so you don’t need to worry. Go and rest.”

He’d never seen James so lost for words. “Are you sure?” He said eventually.

Aleks wanted to roll his eyes, but that could compromise winning the argument. “I’m sure. Go.”

But James didn’t. He hovered, as if he still had something to say. Aleks waited patiently for a few seconds, and then gave up, turning away himself.

He didn’t get very far. James’s hand shot out, and Aleks looked down to see his fingers curled around his arm.

“Thank you.” James said sincerely, and Aleks knew that he meant it.

He couldn’t respond however, now the one who was rendered speechless. All he could focus on was the warmth of James’s hand against his bare skin. He couldn’t look away from James’s lightly tanned fingers, a stark contrast to the assorted richly-coloured palette of his tattoo sleeve.

Suddenly the moment was broken.

“Be safe.” James whispered, releasing his arm.

Aleks still couldn’t speak, but he nodded, a silent promise.

They stared at each other for another couple of moments, before Aleks turned away, forcing himself to break the spell.

As he walked away, he could feel James’s eyes boring into his back.

 

~O~

Aleks left for his first supply run that evening, with Jordan and Dan alongside him. He’d wanted to go on one earlier, but he had been too busy with other duties that had coincided with the trips. He was grateful for the opportunity though, and he spent the first part observing, watching how Dan and Jordan communicated and moved through the zombie infested cities. He used to do all of this alone, so it was vital that he remembered that he was part of a team now and learned to adapt accordingly.

He learned their language quickly, and had memorised all of the hand signals by the time they arrived in Denver.

The trio worked quickly, gathering supplies from abandoned houses and businesses, moving stealthily, hardly saying a word.

When they arrived at a vacant mall, Aleks’s lone wolf instincts kicked in, and he strayed away from Dan and Jordan. He had a destination in mind, and he needed to be alone.  

He soon located the pharmacy that he’d been looking for, and he quickly ducked inside. He heard muffled groaning, but the infected weren’t close enough to be a problem yet.

He scoured the empty shelves, but he couldn’t see what he was searching for. Fortunately there was a stock room, and Aleks headed inside, sighing in relief when his eyes landed on a glass bottle stocked full of strong ibuprofen tablets, and a clean compress. He stole both, and placed them safely in his backpack.

There was another bottle of tablets, which Aleks grabbed, and he left the pharmacy, seeing nothing else that the camp were in short supply of. Their medical supplies were well-stocked.

He froze on the broken escalator when he saw a zombie heading silently towards Dan and Jordan, who had their backs turned as they examined the mall map.

The infected weren’t smart though, and the low groan the zombie emitted gave its location away. Dan and Jordan spun, guns at the ready, but Aleks shook his head as he made eye contact with them.

He sprang into action, creeping up behind it, and he hacked its head off with his knife. A nice, clean, _noiseless_ cut.

His friends looked down at the dead infected body. “Remind me to take you on more supply runs.” Jordan remarked, amazed.

“Will do.” Aleks was enjoying himself, and he wiped his knife on the zombie’s clothing. “Here, I found this.” He chucked the bottle of ibuprofen at Jordan, who pocketed it gratefully.

“Find anything else?” Dan asked, returning his gaze to the map of the mall.

“No.” Aleks lied, but he didn’t feel guilty. He’d stolen for a good reason: it was all for James.

~O~

Thirty one hours later, they arrived back at camp. It was the middle of the night, but Aleks couldn’t wait. He left the others to unload, and went to seek out James.

He impatiently ascended the stairs, taking all six flights to James’s room, which was on the top floor.

Realising the possibility that he could be sleeping, he opened the door slowly, wincing when it creaked slightly.

It wasn’t enough noise to disturb James though, who was fast asleep on his bed. He was stretched out on his front, snoring softly into his pillow, his black hair sticking up in tufts. Aleks had to clench his fists to stop himself from leaning down and smoothing his hair.

He noticed that there was a blanket folded up at the end of the bed, and he pulled it over James, tucking it around his body.

He straightened up, and eyed the table beside the bed. He was tempted to leave the bottle of pills and the compress there, but knew James would take them to the medical room if he found them in the morning.

He also realised that James would reject the pills and compress if Aleks offered them to him in person. His friend was a stubborn idiot, just like him.

Realising what he must do, he cast one last lingering look at James before he shut the door behind him.

~O~

When Aleks woke up the next morning, food was the last thing on his mind. Judging by the high position of the sun in the sky, he’d missed breakfast anyway. He hastily washed and changed into some fresh clothing, and then headed out into camp.

It was easy to spot James; he was cleaning guns by the entrance to the campsite, occasionally shooting glances at the gate. He likely hadn’t realised that Aleks and the others had returned; Dan and Jordan were probably still asleep in their rooms.

Aleks couldn’t stay hidden for long, the urge to speak to James too great, and he walked forwards into his line of sight. “Need any help?” He asked, smiling when James’s face lit up.

“Aleksandr!” He said in delight, abandoning the gun he was cleaning to place it down on the bench, and he began to make his way over to him.

They met in the middle of the courtyard, and both faltered once they got there. Aleks had wanted to greet him in some way, but he lost his confidence once James was standing in front of him.

It wasn’t awkward for long though. “Glad you’re alive asshole.” James said, and he punched Aleks in the shoulder playfully.

“It’s good to see you too.” Aleks replied sincerely, understanding the hidden meaning in James’s words, and he shoved him in return.

They soon fell into easy conversation, and they continued with the cleaning of the weaponry. As they worked, Aleks noticed James wincing and touching his back occasionally, and he knew it was time to put his stolen goods to use.

He offered to get James some water, and he headed into the basement to fill up his flask for him.

About an hour later, James had stopped touching his back, and he was sitting up straighter.

Aleks was pleased of himself, and he slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling for the pills he’d stored in there.


	6. VI: Heavy in Your Arms

Aleks knew his actions would catch up with him eventually, and they did, ten days later when the next supply run was being planned. James had been eager to sign up, and Aleks had quickly agreed to go too. He wanted to go, partly because he’d enjoyed the last one, but mostly to keep an eye on James.

They were due to leave at dawn, so Aleks spent the day before sleeping, and then he arose to help out with some chores in the afternoon. To no one’s surprise, he tagged along with James, choosing to help him out with his duties instead of teaming up with someone else.

James had been happy to work with him at first, but his mood had soured swiftly once he’d realised Aleks’s true intentions.

Aleks knew it was his own fault for being so opaque, but he couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t bear to think about James hurting himself further, especially once they were out of the safety of their camp, so he’d been trying to persuade him to stay behind for the last few minutes.

“For the last fucking time Aleksandr!” James snapped, throwing down the shovel he was holding. “My back hasn’t bothered me for a while. I’m fine!”

Aleks didn’t have a choice now. He had to bite the bullet… _here goes nothing_. “There may be a reason for that.” He admitted quietly, and James stilled.

“What have you done?” He asked, lowering his voice as he glowered at him.

That scared Aleks slightly; James was never anything but loud. “I gave you strong painkillers.”

James blinked, surprised. “I think I’d remember you giving me…” He trailed off, and Aleks knew he’d realised the truth. “You drugged me?” He whispered, and the horror on his face made Aleks feel physically ill.

“Only a couple of times!” He said hastily. “When I knew your back was really hurting you.”

There was only one word he could think of to describe James’s expression at that moment; betrayed. “I’m not an invalid.” He replied, hurt. “I don’t deserve those pills. You need to return them to the medical room.”

As guilty as Aleks felt, there was no way that he was giving up the only thing that gave James some relief. “They’re not from there, they’re mine.” He informed him, and confusion momentarily clouded James’s face.

“Yours?” He asked doubtfully.

Aleks felt his shoulders sag, weighted down as he confessed the whole truth. “I stole them for you, when I went on the last supply run. We have plenty of them anyway, but I knew you wouldn’t take any for yourself.”

“You lied to me.” James stated flatly, frowning. It wasn’t angry enough to be a glare, but he was visibly upset, which hurt Aleks more. He couldn’t even meet his eyes.

“I didn’t lie to you.” Aleks was adamant about this. “I just never told you. There’s a difference.”

He expected a quick-fire response from James, who was normally so eager to argue back.

But this time was different. James shook his head, defeated, and he looked at Aleks in a way he’d never had before. His glance was a mixture of pain and disappointment, and Aleks knew he’d never forget that look.

He let James walk away, knowing he needed space.

~O~

Aleks spent the rest of the day moping. James stayed away from him, and he didn’t even look in his direction if they happened to be in the same place. Aleks knew he had fucked up badly, but he’d thought he was genuinely helping him.

Their friends seemed to know that something had happened between them, and they distanced themselves from him too. That was partly Aleks’s fault; he glared at anyone who stepped within a couple of feet of him, so everyone chose to give him space because of his discernible mood.

Everyone apart from Dexter, that is. He approached Aleks at dinner, much to his annoyance, and he flung himself into one of the vacant chairs at the table. “What the fuck’s up with you?” He asked with his usual lack of tact.

“Nothing.” Aleks said sullenly, gazing at James, who was sitting on the other side of the basement.

Dexter craned his head to see what Aleks was looking at, and he rolled his eyes when he saw what had him so transfixed. “I should have guessed. Did you and loverboy have a tiff or something?”

“Fuck you.” Aleks hissed, and there was enough venom in his tone for Dexter to back off.

“Okay then. I’ll leave you to it, I guess.” Dexter left him to go and find somewhere else to eat, and to Aleks’s dismay he chose to join James, who greeted him warmly as he sat down.

That only added to Aleks’s pain, and he shoved his tray away, no longer hungry.   

He knew he should leave, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away from James. He was glad he hadn’t when a few moments later, he saw the tell-tale wince, and knew that his friend was hurt again.

He didn’t attempt to try and slip James some pills, not after the repercussions of the afternoon. Instead, he chose to wait, knowing James would retire to bed soon so he’d be up in time to leave for the supply run.

He didn’t have to wait long, and he watched James leave the table a short while later. He gave him a few minutes to get to his room, going to his own in the meantime to gather the compress and wet it with the cold water he’d stored in the fridge.

There was nothing to do after that than finally approach James, and he knocked softly on the door to his hotel room.

“What?” He heard James bark.

Aleks entered without announcing himself, not giving James the opportunity to lock the door to prevent him from coming in – which he knew he likely would have done. “Hi.” He said cautiously, hiding the compress behind his back.

“What the fuck do you want?” James asked tiredly, perching on the edge of his bed and dropping his head into his hands. “Here to drug me again?”

Aleks wasn’t going to discuss that topic any further – he’d done enough damage already. “Take your shirt off and lay down.” He commanded, ignoring James’s questions.

That got his attention. “Why?” James demanded, raising his head.

Aleks thought the reason was obvious. “I want to look at your back.” He said plainly.

“I’m fine!”

“Just do it James!” Aleks had reached the end of his tether, and James seemed to realise that he wasn’t going to win this argument. He ripped his t-shirt over his head, glaring at him the entire time.

Aleks didn’t really notice; he was struggling to keep his eyes from straying away from James’s face, finding the exposed skin very distracting. “Lay down on the bed then.” He said quickly.

James complied, and he laid down on his stomach. “You here to give me a back massage or something?” He asked, folding his arms to rest his head comfortably on them.

“Or something.” Aleks murmured, and he sat on the bed. He briefly considered straddling him but he didn’t want to make James uncomfortable; he’d alienated him enough already. Gently, he placed his hand in the space between James’s shoulder blades. “Where does it hurt?”

“Lower back. It’s always my lower back.” James whispered, and Aleks ran his hand lightly down his spine.  

In his other hand was the cold compress that he’d concealed, and he placed it over the strained area. “Sorry it’s not hot.” He said apologetically. He didn’t realise that he was rubbing James’s skin with his compress-free hand until he felt him exhale.

“That feels nice.” James said quietly, his eyes drifting closed.

Knowing that he was comfortable with the touching, Aleks continued the motion until he grew bored of drawing circles, and he began to trace letters into his skin instead.

“Did you just call me an asshole Aleksandr?”

Aleks grinned, glad James had figured it out. “Maybe.” He said coyly, repeating the letters again.

They lapsed into silence then, and Aleks embraced the peace, relieved that James seemed to bear no ill-will towards him. He didn’t know what he would have done if he’d ruined their friendship.

But was it a friendship though? He was friends with many other people in camp, but he would never even think about doing this for anyone else. Only James. 

Having friends was one thing, but building a deeper connection with one individual was something different altogether. Aleks was scared of those more profound feelings, and that’s why he threw himself into his work. It was easier to focus on that than it was to think about the way he felt about James.

But having him here beside him now, his skin pliant under Aleks’s wandering hands, forced those feelings to come flooding to the surface.

He was grateful James’s eyes were closed so that he wouldn’t notice his lingering gaze. He couldn’t bring himself to look away.

But when the compress reached room-temperature a couple of minutes later, Aleks knew his job was done. Reluctantly, he withdrew his hands from James’s skin. He didn’t want to, but knew he had to. He stood up from the bed, and James opened his eyes.

“I’ll be okay for the supply run.” He whispered, meeting Aleks’s gaze.

“I know.” Aleks still didn’t want him to risk going, but knew he couldn’t do anything to stop him. “I’ll be there too, to back you up.”

“I’m going to have my work cut out for me, having to watch out for zombies _and_ you trying to drug me.” James responded playfully, and that little joke was enough to show that everything was fine between them again.

“I won’t, I swear.” Aleks replied with a relieved smile. “Promise me though that you’ll tell me if it gets too much. I don’t want to hear any more of your self-sacrificial bullshit.”

“I promise.”

Aleks didn’t doubt the sincerity in James’s words, and he backed away to the door. “Okay, good. Now get some sleep, we’ve got a long day ahead of us.”

James shot him a cheeky grin. “Yes mom.”  

“Asshole.” Aleks retorted, but he was smiling as he turned to go.

“Thank you.”

The words were unexpected, and Aleks glanced back over his shoulder in surprise. The amusement had vanished from James’s expression, and he was gazing at him with gratitude. There was another emotion there too, but Aleks didn’t know what it was.

“Anytime.” He whispered, hovering in the doorway. He didn’t want to leave. 

James didn’t dismiss him either, and they gazed at each other.

As usual, one of them broke the connection before it got too much, and Aleks was ashamed that he gave in first. “Good night.” He murmured, closing the door before James had the chance to respond.

~O~

“Rise and shine Aleks!”

Aleks groaned, flinging his arm over his eyes.

“Get up asshole!”

The pillow he was laying on was suddenly ripped viciously away from him, and he opened his eyes to see James standing over him.

“It’s time to go already?” He asked groggily, sitting up, but James was no longer listening.

“Where’s your blanket?” He demanded, looking around the sparse bedroom.

“I don’t have one.”

“You still haven’t been given one?” James looked horrified, and he threw the pillow back onto the bed. “For fuck’s sake Aleks, why didn’t you say something?”

It was too early in the morning for this shit. Aleks shrugged, unconcerned.

James shook his head, turning away. “Jesus, if I had known, you could have shared my bed last night.”

Aleks started, positive he’d misheard James’s muttering. There was no way he’d said that. He was about to ask James to repeat himself, but he left the room before he could, hollering that he had five minutes to get down to the truck.

Choosing to forget about it, for now, Aleks hurriedly changed into a fresh pair of clothes and packed his knives into his backpack. He spotted a flask and a packet of beef jerky on the table and packed those too, realising James must have brought them up for him. Lastly, he grabbed a couple of pills, just in case James needed them.

He stopped by the weapon supply room on his way to the truck; he was a knife guy, but a gun was vital for important long-distance attacks. He chose a 9mm handgun with a homemade silencer, and a couple of clips.

“There you are!” Jordan exclaimed, when Aleks eventually joined him and James outside. “We were about to leave without you.”

“Sure you were.” Aleks replied dryly, knowing that James wouldn’t have let that happen. “I’m ready when you are.”

Jordan climbed into the driver’s side, and Aleks hopped into the backseat, presuming the passenger seat would be occupied by James.

He was wrong; James slid in readily beside him, as if he were meant to be there. “Ready partner?” He asked with a bright smile, loading his shotgun.

Aleks tried not to read too much into his choice of words, but failed. “Ready partner.” He confirmed, the warmth in his smile mirroring James’s.  


	7. VII: Heartlines

So far, so good. For two days they’d been on the road, and the truck was brimming with goods. There was still space left though, so Aleks directed Jordan towards a large supermarket that he’d frequented when he was on the run a few months ago. The camp could never have too much food.

Once inside, James began to joke around, and Aleks found himself joining in with him. They were almost finished with their duty, they were only twenty miles from their home, and there were no infected in sight. It was the ideal time to relax for a little bit.

They both trailed after Jordan, who was plucking items from the shelves to put into a trolley. He was resolutely ignoring the pair of them, but Aleks didn’t mind. He was too busy bickering with James to pay any attention to their solemn leader.

“Hey Aleks, does this smell funny to you?”

Before Aleks had time to react, James shoved an opened tin under his nose, forcing him to breathe in the most rancid scent he had ever smelt. He floundered, nearly crashing into a stack of shelves from the power of the stench. “You motherfucker!” He cried, pinching his nose as he tried to recover his balance.

James, of course, found that absolutely hysterical. He roared with laughter, catching Jordan’s attention.

“Will you two be quiet?” He snapped. “You’ll draw the infected straight towards us!”

“I can’t feel my fucking nose Jordan!” Aleks yelled, glaring at James when he doubled over, shaking from the force of his amusement.

“You should have seen your face!” He wheezed, clutching his stomach as he struggled to contain his delight.

Jordan rolled his eyes and walked away, muttering about idiotic friends under his breath. Aleks was going to storm off too, but his annoyance faded as he watched James laugh.

When James straightened up a couple of moments later, Aleks realised with a start that he’d been staring at his mouth. Quickly, he averted his gaze, and looked down at the tin that his nose had been violated by. “What the fuck is that?” He muttered, eyeing the container in disgust.

“Seven year old tuna.” James replied cheerfully. “Would you like to try some?”

Aleks immediately begin to back away, narrowing his eyes. “Don’t you dare!”

Unfortunately, James seemed to take that as a challenge, and he picked up the tin again. Aleks didn’t give him the chance to do something with it; he bolted, tearing down the aisle towards the entrance of the store. He ran past Jordan, but didn’t stop to warn him.

Outside, Aleks came to a halt by the truck, and he watched the entrance guardedly, on the lookout for James.

Mercifully, when he exited the supermarket a few minutes later, Jordan in tow, his hands were empty. Aleks still made him sit in the passenger seat though, so he could sit behind to keep an eye on him.

Their last stop before returning to camp was a mall, situated a couple of miles away. Winter was rapidly approaching, and the more clothing they had, the better prepared they would be.

In the mall, the silliness continued. James and Aleks had behaved themselves at first, but once they walked into the department store on the top floor, the fooling around started again. They were surrounded by comedic props; it would have been a missed opportunity if they didn’t have fun whilst they were browsing.

“Hey James, I’ve found something in your size.” Aleks said, pulling a leopard-print dress down from its rail.

“Great! Do you think it’ll match my hat?”

Aleks glanced up, grinning when he saw the giant purple headpiece James had attached to his head. “Absolutely. You look beautiful.” He chuckled, tossing him the garment. “Now we just need to find you a pair of heels.”

“Nothing under four inches please.” James caught the dress, and held it up so he could examine it. “I like my shoes how I like my dicks – big.”

Aleks erupted into laughter, and he had to stop for a second to catch his breath.  

Before James had the chance to try the dress on, Jordan rounded the corner to join them in the aisle. “Will you two pack it in?” He demanded, exasperated. “This isn’t the time!”

_Time for what?_ Aleks was confused, but then he realised what his friend meant. He wasn’t just joking around with James; he was flirting with him. This definitely wasn’t the right time to be doing that.

He was saved from his embarrassment by James, who swiftly elbowed him in the ribs. “Yeah Aleks, shut the fuck up.” He said, grinning impishly.

“You shut the fuck up.” Aleks muttered, accepting the empty bag that Jordan passed to him. He began to shovel clothing into it, not really paying attention to the sizes. Anything that looked warm enough for winter was appropriate.

The store was soon ransacked by the three men, and they left once their bags were full. They made it back to the first floor without incident, but as they walked towards the entrance, Aleks froze.

His hand shot out, and he grabbed James’s wrist, making him halt. Jordan paused too, shooting Aleks a questioning look.

“Listen.” Aleks whispered, his fingers tightening around James’s arm.

Ominous movement could be heard outside: the frantic pacing of many zombies.

“Let’s try the back way.” Jordan said quietly, edging away from the entrance.

Aleks had to forcibly pry his hand from James’s skin, and they followed Jordan to the exit. It was quite a long distance away from the main entrance, and it put them further away from their truck.

Suddenly, there was a blur of movement inside one of the shops, and a loud cry screeched through the air.

They’d been seen.

“Run!” Jordan bellowed as a swarm of zombies burst out of the barricaded store door.

There was a split second delay – James and Aleks reached for each other, the palms of their hands briefly touching – before they broke into a sprint, racing towards the exit.

Jordan got there first, and he threw his body against the door, the impact forcing the lock to break. He fell through, James and Aleks hot on his heels, and the three of them slammed the door shut behind them.

Masses of zombies slammed into the door, and it took all of Aleks’s strength to hold it shut. “We can’t hold this for long!” He hissed. “What the fuck do we do?”

Jordan looked set to reply, until he glanced over his shoulder. His face visibly paled – and that’s when Aleks knew they were in big trouble.

He didn’t want to look, but he knew he had to. He turned, and saw another hoard of zombies heading their way. They didn’t have enough ammunition to take care of them.

“Fuck!” James swore. “We’ve gotta run for it.”

They let go of the door at the same time, and they began to sprint towards one of the side streets. There was no way in hell they were making it back to the truck through the car park.

The zombies they’d contained in the mall broke free, and Aleks fastened his pace, urged on by the chase. He sped past James and Jordan, and arrived at a crossroad at the end of the street.

He looked behind him, and realised how futile their escape was. All three of them trying to outrun the crowd of zombies would cause their imminent death.

Aleks knew what he had to do.

As James and Jordan came to a halt beside him, gasping for breath, Aleks threw his bag full of clothing at them. That would only slow him down.

“What are you—”

Aleks didn’t let Jordan finish; there was no time. “I’ll lure them away. Go to the truck; I’ll meet you both there.”

“No fucking way!” James’s face was ashen with horror. “I’m not leaving you.”

Aleks didn’t want to leave him either, but he had no choice. The infected were rapidly gaining on them. He locked eyes with Jordan, who nodded at him, mutually agreeing to his plan. He began to back away, tugging on James’s arm.

Against his will, James was yanked away. “No Aleks!” He cried, stricken.

Aleks didn’t have time to argue. He whirled around to face the zombies, pulling out his knife. He needed to clear a path for his friends.

Gritting his teeth, he slashed his palm open. Blood immediately pooled to the surface, and he clenched his fingers, holding his arm in the air so the infected could see the blood dripping to the floor.

At the increased volume in the zombie’s snarls, Aleks knew they could sense the blood. He was their only target now.

He met James’s panicked gaze for the last time – and then he bolted.

~O~

Aleks was screwed.

He’d managed to weave in and out of the streets, ducking through alleyways and vacant buildings to scatter the tail of infected, but now he was lost.

The sky was beginning to darken, and he knew that if he didn’t find the truck soon, the cover of night would get him killed. He was in a city that he didn’t know, his hand was bleeding heavily, and there were still zombies nearby. He couldn’t afford to lose the light too.

He used to be good at being a lone wolf, but he needed a pack now. He couldn’t imagine being alone again; life without the Creatures was no life at all.

And a life without James in it was unthinkable.

Finally, Aleks saw a sign on the edge of the road for the mall that they’d been ambushed at. It was only a quarter of a mile away, and he quickly followed the directions. He wanted to sprint there, but it was too risky. He stuck to the shadows instead, walking briskly to his destination.

All he did on the way there was pray that James hadn’t abandoned him. He knew he’d been gone a long time.

His plea was answered.

When he rounded the corner and looked across the huge expanse of tarmac in front of the mall, Aleks saw the truck, right where they’d left it.

More importantly, he saw James. He was pacing up and down in agitation, and Jordan appeared to be watching him warily from inside of the truck. 

Aleks wanted to call his name to get his attention and end his worry, but he couldn’t risk raising his voice. He staggered towards him instead, almost tripping over his feet in his haste to get to him.

James turned at the sound of movement, and time seemed to stop when his gaze met Aleks’s.

His eyes widened, and Aleks felt his face break out into a relieved smile when he saw that he was unharmed.

Time began again when each of them whispered the other’s name, and James charged forward to meet Aleks halfway and pull him into his embrace, his arms wrapping tightly around him. “I thought I’d lost you, you son of a bitch.” He breathed, clutching Aleks to him.

Aleks closed his eyes, burying his face in his shoulder as he fisted his hands in his jacket, anchoring James to him. “Never.” He whispered, returning the hug with just as much force.

“Guys, we need to go.” Jordan said urgently, startling Aleks, who hadn’t realised he’d left the truck. 

James pulled away, but he kept one arm around Aleks’s shoulders as they walked to the truck. He didn’t leave his side when they got in, and he slid into the backseat with him. Aleks didn’t mind in the slightest. They were squashed up together due to all of the supplies around them, but the warmth was a comfort after what they’d just endured.

They were all tense as Jordan navigated the truck out of the city, and Aleks only felt James relax once they’d hit the highway that would take them back to camp.

“You fucking idiot.” James’s murmur broke the silence, and Aleks looked at him in confusion until he saw that James was looking at the open wound on his hand.

Aleks was going to defend himself and remind him that he’d saved his life by doing what he did, but he didn’t get the chance to. James took his hand, and Aleks lost his train of thought.

With his other hand, James rummaged around in the box by their feet, eventually pulling out a bandage. He wrapped it tightly around his palm, and Aleks felt his fingers tremble under the weight of James’s gentle touch.

When his hand was bandaged, James didn’t let go of him immediately, which gave Aleks the courage to take action. Unable to hold back any longer, he bravely flipped his hand so that their palms were now touching.

He met James’s gaze, silently challenging him to make the next move.

James did, and he entwined their fingers, bringing their clasped hands down to rest on his lap. There was no doubt in Aleks’s mind: James felt the same way that he did.

Camp suddenly felt much further way away than it actually was. Aleks bit his lip, forcing himself to be patient as he stared out of the window, looking out for the camp on the horizon.

Only minutes later, they arrived.

To Aleks’s dismay, a group of campers submerged the truck once it was inside the safety of the wall, and James released his hand. They climbed out of the truck to help carry the supplies into the hotel, even though that was the last thing Aleks wanted to do.

He could feel the palpable tension between himself and James, and wondered how no one else had noticed it. His body was humming with anticipation, and his hands were shaking.

James didn’t appear to be coping any better, if his dark, hooded eyes were anything to go by. Aleks could feel his gaze burning through him.

Finally, Jordan and the other campers left the basement, leaving the two of them alone.

They were standing quite far apart, but Aleks boldly began to close the gap as he approached James. He thought he’d be the one to make the move, to blur the lines of their friendship, but James surprised him.

He raised his hands to cup his face, tilting his head to align their lips…and then he kissed him.


	8. VIII: Spectrum

The moment James’s lips touched his, Aleks’s eyes fluttered closed, and he raised his arms to encircle his neck, deepening the kiss as he leaned in. There was no hesitation or uncertainty now; Aleks wanted him, and he knew he was desired in return.

James’s hands left his face, and Aleks was suddenly engulfed in his arms, their bodies pressed together.

The need to breathe forced Aleks to pull away moments later. His lips felt bruised from the power of James’s kiss, and his skin tingled from where his beard had touched him, but he embraced the feeling. He was quick to chase it again, and he pulled James into another kiss.

“Hey guys, could you... _oh_.”

At the sound of Jordan’s voice, James and Aleks leapt apart like two teenagers who had been caught making out by their teacher in the supply closet. Aleks supposed that was kind of accurate, and he hastily ran his hand through his hair, doing his best to look nonchalant.

“God damn it Jordan.” James muttered, adjusting his beanie. Aleks followed the movement enviously; he’d been about to rip that off when Jordan had interrupted them.

“Sorry.”

Aleks found the courage to meet Jordan’s eyes – and he didn’t look very sorry. He was grinning down at them like a proud parent. “I’m happy for you guys.” He said cheerfully. “But could you do that later? These boxes of food need to be unloaded into the pantry.”

“What the fuck dude?” Aleks couldn’t stop his outburst; it definitely wasn’t the time to be doing inventory. “We literally just got back.”

“I know, but it’ll be quicker to do it now so we can all have a decent breakfast in the morning.”

Jordan had a point, but that didn’t mean Aleks had to be happy about it.

James didn’t look pleased either, and he expressed his frustration vocally, berating Jordan as they helped him carry the boxes into the pantry. Aleks mostly listened, enjoying the playful anger, but he chimed in occasionally with “fucking asshole” to support James’s points. Jordan took it all in good humour, grinning the entire time as they unloaded the boxes and started stacking the supplies onto the shelves.

Soon the banter dissolved into normal conversation as James lost his fire. Seamus turned up to help them out, and Jordan started to discuss the events of the supply trip with him. Aleks tuned out; he’d lived it, he didn’t need to hear about it, and he watched James instead as he took inventory. He found it very easy to multi-task.

His blatant staring wasn’t seen by James at first, who was too wrapped up in his conversation with Jordan and Seamus. But when he turned around to reach for one of the last boxes, he finally noticed Aleks.

Aleks didn’t look away, and he raised his eyebrows slightly: a subtle signal.

James didn’t break eye contact, his dark eyes aflame with need. “Jordan, Seamus, no offence, but get the fuck out.”

Jordan and Seamus took one look at the pair of them, and quickly made their escape.

They’d barely left the room when James suddenly crowded Aleks up against the shelves. “No escape now.” He murmured, placing his palms on the wall, trapping him in his arms.

Just where Aleks wanted to be, and he gave him a smug smile. “That’s what you t—” He was abruptly cut off by James’s lips softly brushing against his.

Aleks was surprised; that wasn’t the kiss he was expecting. He recovered quickly though, and he kissed him back, reaching up to slowly tug James’s beanie off.

He had to break the kiss once he’d done that, wanting to see James clearly one last time before he lost himself in him. He was glad he’d done so when he saw the disarray of curls sticking up in all directions. “So hot.” He sighed, the words involuntarily slipping of his mouth.

He didn’t give James the chance to reply, and he melded himself to him with fevered intensity, knotting his hands in his hair. The kiss stopped being gentle and became fierce in a single moment, like kindling flaring into blaze. Neither of them needed tenderness from the other; the fevered pitch of sexual tension that had existed between them for the last few weeks extinguished that notion. They kissed each other with reckless abandon, no longer dancing around their feelings.

Aleks needed James, and he needed him now. He slipped his hands under James’s t-shirt, daringly experimenting as he traced the contours of his chest with his fingertips.

James responded just as Aleks intended, and he yanked his t-shirt off.

Aleks had seen his chest before when he’d massaged his back, but now he had complete reign to do what he couldn’t back then. He began to trail kisses down his chest, and he dropped to his knees when he reached his navel.

Suddenly, the piercing sound of the warning bell punctured the air.

Aleks froze, holding James’s zipper.

James, naturally, used anger as his response. “I swear if that’s Jordan playing a fucking pra—”

The bell rang again.

Definitely not a joke.

Aleks sprang to his feet as James quickly retrieved his shirt and hat. The mood turned sombre in a matter of seconds, and the fear quickly set in. Aleks couldn’t lose James, not when he’d just found him.

As they hurried to the front entrance, Aleks grabbed James’s hand. Whatever the warning was about; they’d face it together.

Outside, they saw Jordan standing on top of the wall, and he beckoned at them silently. James squeezed Aleks’s hand tightly before letting go to ascend the ladder. Aleks was about to follow, but he stopped to grab a sniper first.

Once he’d climbed the ladder to join them, Jordan pointed out into the darkness. Aleks had to wait for his eyes to adjust, but he soon saw why Jordan had rang the bell.

There were two figures making their way down the highway, and they were too far away to tell if they were human or zombies. Aleks quickly readied his sniper, using the scope to identify them. “They’re human.” He whispered, seeing a young man and woman approaching the camp.

“Where’s my sniper then?” He heard James demand, Jordan quickly shushing him at the noise.

Aleks couldn’t pass up the opportunity to tease James. “You don’t need one, you have me to protect you.” He replied playfully, lowering his gun.

James glared at him, but there was no anger in his expression. “Do I look like a damsel in distress to you?”

“Yes.” Aleks said cheerfully. “Let me be your knight in shining armour.”

James looked set to deliver a good comeback, but Jordan clamped his hand over his mouth before he could say it, much to Aleks’s disappointment. “They’re getting closer, so no more talking. Let me handle this.”

Aleks wasn’t going to argue with his leader, knowing he and James had likely pushed Jordan to the end of his limit today with their behaviour. He nodded his agreement, and Jordan took his hand away from James’s mouth.

James flipped him off but didn’t say anything, also choosing to follow his orders.

Jordan waited until the two strangers were within earshot before making an attempt to communicate with them. “What do you want?” He called, the same words James had uttered three months ago when Aleks had been the one to approach the camp.

The woman jumped, and she grabbed her companion’s arm. He looked just as startled as her, and they both squinted up at the three men standing menacingly on top of the wall.

Aleks raised his gun, just in case this turned out to be a ruse. He knew there were humans out there who were more dangerous than the infected; he’d encountered some on his journey here.

“We don’t want any trouble.” The woman stammered, raising her hands in the air when she saw the gun aimed in her direction. “We’re just trying to make it to the city.”

“I wouldn’t recommend that. The nearest city is seven miles away, and you won’t make it there whilst it’s night.” Jordan said, and Aleks exchanged a wary look with James. He knew where this was going.

The woman shared a similar look with her partner. “We don’t have much of a choice.” She replied cautiously. “We have nowhere else to go.”

“We have a community here, if you want refuge.” Jordan proposed.

“We don’t know who you are.” The man said, speaking up for the first time. His eyes were trained on Aleks, who was still aiming at them. “We can’t trust you.”

Aleks chose to respond, beating Jordan to it. “We’re the Creatures.” He stated boldly. Through the scope of his sniper, he saw recognition flicker across the stranger’s faces.

“This is the Creature camp?” The woman asked, looking relieved.

Jordan frowned slightly. “You’ve heard of us?”

“Only whispers.” The man said, adjusting his glasses. “We didn’t think the survival camp existed.”

“Oh, it exists alright. We —”

“—Jordan!” James exclaimed, interrupting him. “You can bore them about the camp once we’ve got them inside, alright?”

James had a good point; it was too dangerous to be having a dawdling conversation where they were. They hurriedly climbed down the wall, where Seamus and Dan were waiting, and the five of them pulled the gate open so that the two newcomers could come inside.

Jordan made the introductions as Aleks locked the gate, and he learned that their new comrades were called Stefani and Aron. He was tasked with searching their bags and he did so, seeing nothing that would cause alarm.

Seamus started telling them about camp life as he led them inside the hotel, but Aleks didn’t bother following. He’d heard it before, he was exhausted, and he only wanted to do one of two things: sleep, or be alone with James.

“I’m guessing you two didn’t finish unloading the boxes.” Jordan said, making James grin.

“What do you think?” He asked, quirking one eyebrow suggestively. Aleks bit his lip, suppressing the urge to smirk.  

Jordan sighed. “I figured as much. Someone can finish doing it in the morning, I guess. Do you want to help me settle in the new guys?”

“No.” Aleks said flatly; he’d been helpful enough today, and now it was time to be selfish.

“No problem.” Jordan didn’t seem surprised by his response. “I’ll see you in the morning.” He clapped them both on the shoulder as he left, and Dan went with him, leaving Aleks and James alone.

Just what Aleks wanted. He turned to James, who was stifling a yawn with his hand.

Aleks knew that they wouldn’t be continuing what they’d started in the pantry – not now, at least. “We should get some sleep.” He said regretfully.

“We should.” Despite James’s evident exhaustion, his dark eyes were gleaming with vigour. “Or, we could talk instead.”

That piqued Aleks’s attention. “Let’s talk.” He agreed, wanting to prolong the time with him.

“How’s your hand?”

That wasn’t the topic of conversation Aleks was expecting. “Fine.” He replied, glancing down at the bandage wrapped around his palm. He’d almost forgotten that he was injured. “How’s your back?”

James shrugged. “Fine.”

There was a moment of silence, and they both gazed at each other. Aleks was completely lost for words all of a sudden; he was unable to think of something to say to his best friend after what had happened between them this evening.

“We’re way past small talk Aleks.” James said, his lips curving up into a warm smile, shattering the tension immediately.

Aleks relaxed, slipping back into normalcy. “I know. I just…I don’t know what to say.” He said honestly.

“Words seem kind of pointless now, I guess.” James mused, shoving his hands into his pockets.

“It’s been years since I’ve been with someone.” Aleks admitted openly. His last girlfriend had been killed when the virus had been unleashed, and he had never thought about pursuing that kind of relationship since…until he’d found James.

“Same here.” James whispered, looking a little wistful. Aleks wondered who he was thinking about, but James continued speaking before he had the chance to find out.

“Can’t really whisk you off on a first date, like I would have done if the world hadn’t gone to shit.”

Aleks was curious to know more about James’s previous life, but he appreciated the lightened mood more. They weren’t ready to have that deep conversation yet. “I thought the supply run was our first date.” He said teasingly.

“Oh yes, so romantic, having Jordan tag along as we fought zombies together.” James replied dryly, grimacing at the memory.

“At least we got to hold hands.” Aleks reminded him, gesturing to his bandaged palm. “So where are you taking me for date number two?”

“Who says I like you enough to ask you out on a second date?”

Aleks couldn’t resist toying with him. “I felt how much you liked me in the pantry.” He said heatedly, biting his lip as James’s gaze swept over him. “I’m pretty confident you’ll ask me out again.”

“You’ve got me there.” James replied, smiling as he glanced up at the sky. “It’ll be dawn in a few hours. Do you feel up for that second date now?”

Sleep could definitely wait; exploring his newfound relationship with James was an opportunity that Aleks couldn’t miss. “Sure. What do you have in mind?”

“Do you want to watch the sunrise with me?” James asked, and Aleks was taken aback by the sudden shyness in his tone. It reassured him though, knowing that they were both out of their comfort zone. They would learn together, and Aleks looked forward to sharing this journey with him.

“That sounds nice.” He murmured.

James’s face lit up with a dazzling smile, and Aleks forgot how to breathe for a second. He recovered though when James held out his hand, a clear invitation.

There was no hesitancy as Aleks placed his hand in his, and James entwined their fingers together, leading him up to the roof.


	9. IX: Your Soul

Aleks could get used to this, being completely alone with James, stealing kisses from him under the rising sun. Hidden from the eyes of the others, he basked in the privacy of being with him.

They almost didn’t get their second date; Joe and Spencer had been stationed on the roof for night patrol, but James had persuaded them to leave, promising that he and Aleks would cover the last of their shift.

Not a lot of work had been done though. Aleks had tried to keep an eye on their surroundings, but James was very distracting. Their lips were never separated for long, but their relationship didn’t progress any further than that. As much as Aleks wanted him, they were both still running on excess adrenaline from the supply run, and they were likely to collapse from exhaustion at any moment. He was content, for now, to just _be_ with him.

All too soon, the sky lightened, and dawn broke. Two campers relieved Aleks and James of their posts, and they began to groggily make their way down the flights of stairs, heading towards the basement for breakfast.

On the way there, Aleks noticed a couple of people glancing at his neck, and he rubbed his skin self-consciously.

James picked up on that, and his smirk told Aleks everything he needed to know.

“You’ve given me a love bite, haven’t you?”

James’s smile brightened. “Maybe.”

Rolling his eyes, Aleks yanked his hood up. He wasn’t ashamed of James; he just wasn’t alert enough to battle the torrent of comments that their friends would throw their way if they saw the mark.

Once they were in the basement, they collected their breakfast, and Aleks was about to sit down at an empty table when James grabbed his arm, lightly steering him a couple of tables over to join Dexter and Dan.

“Why are you two still awake?” Dan asked, surprised at the addition to his table. “You should be resting up!”

“Trust me, we’re going to bed straight after this.” Aleks muttered, barely able to keep his eyes open as he tucked into his breakfast.

“What time did you boys get back?”

“A few hours ago.” James answered, replying to Dexter’s question. “Jordan made us unload everything, so we’ve been pretty busy.”

“I can tell you’ve been busy.”

Something in Dexter’s tone was off, but Aleks arrived at that realisation too late. Before he had the chance to stop him, Dexter reached across the table and ripped Aleks’s hood off, exposing his neck.

“What the fuck dude?” Aleks hissed, recoiling sharply away from him. He still had issues with personal space; only James was allowed to breach that barrier.

“Is that what I think it is?” Dexter exclaimed, paying no attention to Aleks’s discomfort.

There was no way that Aleks was giving him the pleasure of answering him; whatever he said would only spur Dexter on. He ignored him, choosing to let James barter with him instead as he resumed eating his breakfast.

“I didn’t know your brain had the capacity to think.”

Aleks snorted, amused by James’s quick-fire response.

“That’s a fucking love bite!” Dexter responded, ignoring the quip as he pointed at the mark. “How long has this been going on then?”

Aleks kept the same tactic, refusing to give in. He shrugged his shoulders half-heartedly, sipping his water.

“Hey Dex, why don’t you worry about your own love life? Oh wait …you don’t have one.” An outsider might have taken James’s words as cruel and malicious, but Aleks knew that Dexter and James were good friends. There was no spite between them.

“I used to, back in the day. I was a proper stud.” Dexter had presumably realised that he was going to get nothing out of Aleks and James, and wisely chose to change the conversation slightly. “You’d have been in awe, watching me pull girls.”

James and Dan both scoffed at that, and they began to tease Dexter in the brotherly way that they usually did. Aleks chose to listen, too tired to contribute, but he was enjoying the banter nonetheless.

Jordan’s sudden appearance at the table halted the conversation minutes later. He sat down with them, but he wasn’t alone. The newcomers, Stefani and Aron, were with him.

Aleks nodded at them in greeting, drooping low in his seat, and he saw James glance at him.

Jordan began to tell the group more information about the new additions to camp, but Aleks was far too tired to pay proper attention. He learnt that Stefani was a trained nurse, and that Aron was a technical whiz, and that was enough.

Yawning, he folded his arms, resting his head on them.

A warm hand settled between his shoulder blades, but Aleks didn’t flinch. He knew it was James.

“Shall we go?” He murmured, running his hand lightly down Aleks’s spine.

_Thank God._ “Please.” Aleks sighed, straightening up.

They bid goodbye to their friends, and then they retired upstairs. There was an unspoken agreement that the two would be sleeping together, and Aleks followed James to his room.

As James shut the door behind them, Aleks began to strip off, tossing his hoody onto the floor. He’d worry about laundry later.

“Sure that’s a good idea? What if we get ambushed in the middle of our sleep?” He heard James ask. When Aleks looked up, he was gazing at him appreciatively, contrasting his own words.

“We’re on the top floor, we’d have time to get dressed.” Aleks replied lightly, adding his t-shirt to the heap.

James nodded distractedly, his attention seemingly elsewhere as his eyes travelled south, admiring the canvas of skin in front of him. “I didn’t know you had more ink.” He whispered, and he placed his hand on Aleks’s chest, his fingers spread over the image of an eagle.

The way James was looking at him relit Aleks’s burning fervour, but he forced himself to resist. “That’s not all of it.” He murmured, laying his hand over the top of James’s.

“Where’s the rest?”

In response, Aleks stepped back to unbuckle his trousers, revealing the tattoo on his leg.

“Is there a story behind them?”

“Yeah, I’ll tell you at some point.” Aleks mentally added that to the deep conversation topics that he and James would broach in the future, and he settled into bed, eliciting a deep sigh as he pulled the cover over himself. “I would have jumped into bed with you straight away if I’d known your bed was this comfortable.” He remarked tiredly.

“I wouldn’t have kicked you out if you had.” James admitted as he removed his shirt. Aleks had to close his eyes, the only way to repress his desire, the temptation in front of him too much. He was too exhausted to consummate their relationship – if it even _was_ a relationship.

He heard another item of clothing drop to the floor, and he felt the bed dip slightly as James crawled in beside him. Aleks sussed that he must have left some distance between them as he couldn’t feel him next to him, but he didn’t want that.

He inched his body backwards just as James encircled his arms around his waist, guiding him until his back was pressed up against his chest. Aleks tucked his legs, allowing James to slot his underneath.

“Is this okay?” He heard him murmur.

“S’perfect.” Aleks whispered. He’d never been the little spoon before, but he liked it. He felt safe in the cocoon of James’s arms, and he laced his fingers through his, fusing them together.

He felt James press his lips to the back of his neck, and Aleks tilted his head expectantly, not content to fall asleep without another assurance that James was his. He felt a feather-light kiss on his forehead, and he smiled, eyes still closed.

Then he felt James’s lips ghost gently over his, the kiss that Aleks had wanted. Satisfied, he turned back, falling into an easy slumber almost instantly.

~O~

The next time Aleks opened his eyes, it was mid-afternoon, and the sun was high in the sky, illuminating the room with bright light. He was still in the same position that he’d fallen asleep in, and he rolled over, wanting to see James.

He was snoring lightly beside him, now laying on his front, and one of his arms was still wrapped protectively around Aleks.

Aleks couldn’t help but feel a little relieved, knowing the position he was sleeping in was better for his back. He ran his fingers affectionately through his thick locks, wanting to wake him up, but not having the heart to do it.

Reluctantly, he slid out of James’s hold, keenly aware that he needed to wash. He could feel the grime on his skin, and he gathered his clothes to head back to his own room, wanting to freshen up before James woke up.

The task only took him a few minutes, and once he’d changed into clean clothing, he headed downstairs to see how far the others had gotten with inventory. He may as well be useful whilst he waited for James.

Aleks checked in with the campers working in the pantry and medical room, but they waved him away, so he went to the clothing bay next.

Dan and Seamus were inside, looking through various garments. “Hey bud!” Dan called cheerfully, spotting Aleks in the doorway. “How’d you sleep?”

“Fine, thanks.” Aleks pretended not to see the look that Dan gave Seamus, assuming that Dan had told his friend that he and James had gone to bed together. He wasn’t going to make a big deal out of his relationship with James to the others; it was nobody’s business but theirs. “How’s everything going down here?”

“We’re good. We’re just trying to distribute an equal amount of clothing to everyone.” Seamus answered, emptying the contents of one of the bags that Aleks had collected on the supply run. “We’ll have to give you your bundle later, but you can take James’s new hooded sweatshirt up to him, if you want. The rest of his clothes still have to be sorted out.”

“Sure.” Aleks replied, accepting the black hoody that Seamus passed to him. “Do you need any help?”

“No, we’ve got it covered. Thanks though.”

Dan’s response sounded like a dismissal, so Aleks left them to it. He considered going upstairs to wake James up, but realised that interrupting his much-needed slumber was selfish. He could find something to do in the meantime.

He wandered into the courtyard next, scanning the crowds of campers outside for someone to talk to. As sunny as it was outside, the autumn wind was bitterly cold, so he quickly put James’s hoody on.

When he saw a flash of red, he headed towards Jordan, who was sitting on a bench beside Aron.

As he got closer, he could see deep circles under Jordan’s eyes. “Please tell me you’ve slept at some point today.” Aleks said, eyeing him critically as he sat down beside him.

“I’d say yes, but I’d be lying.” Jordan replied, bouncing his leg up and down. “There’s too much going on at the moment. Aron here, is an absolute genius.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Aron said, adjusting his glasses. “I just know how to do a few technical things.”

“Technical things that will save our lives.” Jordan added quickly. “He’s going to make us motion and sound sensors.”

That caught Aleks’s attention. “Seriously?”

Aron nodded slightly, and Aleks grinned at him. “Awesome dude.”

“That’s not all. He thinks he can get radios up and running so we can communicate, once we’ve got all the right parts.” It was evident to Aleks how excited Jordan was from the tone of his voice; no wonder he hadn’t gone to bed. The camp was his creation, and fortifying it was his first priority.

“We can try and find some parts now, if you’re up for it?” Aron suggested. “I’m sure the camp already has a lot of the things we’ll need.”

“Sure. We have a junk room where we put everything that could be useful to us one day. Let’s start there.” Jordan rose to his feet, followed by Aron, and they both looked down at Aleks expectantly.

As pleased as Aleks was by Aron’s apparent skill, he wasn’t about to go rummaging through piles of miscellaneous scrap. “Sorry guys, but I’m going to pass. Don’t think I’d be much help to you.”

“Well, you know where we’ll be if you change your mind.” Jordan said, and then he walked away with Aron, a visible spring in his step.

Aleks stayed on the bench, contemplating where he should go next as he tilted his head to the sky. Now he was shielded from the wind, he could enjoy the autumn sunshine, knowing that winter was drawing closer and precious hours of daylight would soon be lost.

“I see you bathed without me. That’s too bad.”

His contentment immediately grew when he heard that voice. “It wouldn’t have been very sexy. The water was black by the time I’d finished with it.” Aleks replied, looking over to see James standing a few metres away from him. “But I can cheer you up in another way…I have a gift for you.”

James noticeably perked up at that. “What is it?”

“I’m wearing it.”

James’s face lit up. “New hoody?”

“New hoody.” Aleks confirmed. “I don’t know when you’ll be getting it though. I’ve grown attached to it already.”

“Didn’t think you were the type to wear your boyfriend’s clothes.”

The comment fell easily from James’s lips, but they both froze when the weight of the words hit them. James looked mortified by his choice of wording, and he looked away sheepishly.

Despite Aleks’s initial shock, the warmth in his chest bloomed. “You better keep a close eye on that Polaris shirt of yours, that’s next on my list.” He said lightly, wanting James to know that he hadn’t minded being labelled as his boyfriend. It’s what he wanted, he just hadn’t known if James was thinking that far ahead.

To his relief, James seemed to get the message, and his face cleared. “Thanks for the warning.”

“You’re welcome.” Aleks patted the empty space beside him, a subtle hint, which James quickly understood. “You’re more than welcome to share my purple hoody with me.” He said as James settled down on the bench, sitting so close to him that their legs were pressed together.

“I’ll pass.” James gave him a fond smile, and he draped his arm over his shoulders.

Aleks leaned into him instinctively, the move so natural that it was like they’d been doing this for years. The warmth within him remained, simmering gently.

Feeling truly at peace for the first time, he gazed reflectively around the courtyard, taking in the view of the camp as if he was seeing it again for the first time. Outside of the walls was death and destruction, but inside was a loyal community, a genuine home for the survivors.

Not for Aleks though. The camp may be where he lived, but his home was the person sitting beside him. James was everything he wanted and everything he needed – and as he came to that realisation, he couldn’t contain his brimming emotion any longer.

He launched himself at James, not giving a damn about the people around them, and he cradled his face with his hands to kiss him fiercely.

James responded quickly, but Aleks knew he had taken him by surprise. He pulled back to beam at him, still gripping his face tenderly with his fingertips.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” James asked, and Aleks leaned forward, resting their foreheads together.

“I’m happy.” He whispered, finally feeling free.


	10. X: Look After You

During the next few days, Aleks continued to soar, empowered by his realisation about James. Being with him was easy, and nothing had ever felt so _right_. He’d never felt this kind of joy before.

In James’s presence, he forgot about the damaged state of the world. Nothing else mattered when they were together. James had described it as living in a bubble, and Aleks agreed with the analogy.

Inside of it, they were protected from the harsh reality of their lives. Their only focus was each other; and they were truly able to be themselves. Aleks didn’t have to be reserved, and James didn’t have to keep up the façade of the loud, uplifting protagonist. Being sheltered from everything and everyone allowed the lovers to lose themselves in each other.

But when they were forced to crash back to reality, the bubble popped, and everything flooded inside. Uniting with their friends to discuss tactics and duties made Aleks withdraw a little, remembering the lurking danger that threatened to destroy his chance of happiness.

He liked the bubble, and missed it when he couldn’t be inside of it.

Like now, for instance. It had been nearly an entire day since he’d seen James; his partner had been on night patrol the night before, and he’d been asleep when Aleks had woken up in the morning. Their duties in the afternoon were currently keeping the two apart.

Aleks was in the farm with Dexter, mucking out the animal pens. He hated to admit that he was pining, but he was. It didn’t go unnoticed by his friend either.

“I know we’re picking up shit, but it could be worse.” Dexter remarked, noting the frown on Aleks’s face. “You could have less entertaining company.”

Dexter’s continuous complaining about their task had been mildly amusing for Aleks, but he knew where he would rather be. “Sorry dude. I’m a little distracted.”

“I’m sure James is looking just as pissed off as you.” Dexter responded, shovelling a pile of manure into a bucket. “You two are nauseating.”

Aleks stopped digging to look at him warily. He and James weren’t really affectionate with each other in front of their friends, so he was a little thrown by Dexter’s comment. “Are we that bad?” He asked guardedly.

“Nah, I think we’re all just a little jealous. You look at him like the sun shines out of his arse.” Dexter disclosed, beginning to dig up Aleks’s abandoned heap. “But it’s good to know that we all still have a chance to find love in this fucked up world.”

Aleks blinked, bewildered. _Love?_

Was love the foreign emotion he felt when he looked at James sometimes? He honestly didn’t know. He’d never been in love, so he had no idea what it felt like.

What he did know though, was that it was too soon. He did burn brighter because of James, but it had taken Aleks a long time to become the man he was today. His past still haunted him, and he wasn’t ready to fall any deeper. He was content with what he had; it was too dangerous to delve any further.

Suddenly, he felt strong arms wrap around his waist. “Dreaming about me?” He heard James whisper, and Aleks sank into his embrace, repressing his spiralling thoughts.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Dexter roll his eyes and make a gagging sound. He turned away from them to give them a shred of privacy, which Aleks was grateful for. “You wish.” He replied playfully, dropping his shovel. “Who are you again?”

“Asshole.” James released him, but Aleks didn’t let him go very far. He spun around, easily sliding his arms around his neck to lock him in place, and James’s hands returned to his hips.

“I signed up for tonight’s supply run.” Aleks said, running his fingers through the hair at the nape of James’s neck. “You in?”

James’s eyes flickered towards Dexter. “I may have to pass.” He said steadily, and Aleks understood, without needing him to continue. His back must have given him some trouble in the night.

“You need anything?” Aleks chose his words carefully, knowing that Dexter was within earshot. No one else knew about his strained back, and he hoped James understood what he was asking through his vague question.

“Not that.” James replied, correctly surmising that Aleks was offering him painkillers. “But if you want…I could do with…the other thing.”

Massage it was then. Now Aleks just had to get out of his duty so he could sneak off with James. He contemplated his options as he looked over at Dexter, trailing his hand up and down James’s back soothingly.

Dexter seemed to sense his gaze, and he glanced up. “Fucking hell, you don’t have to be so secretive with your words.” He said, shaking his head. “I know you’re banging each other. Go, already!”

Just the reprieve that Aleks wanted. “You sure?” He said, even though he was already being pulled away by James.

“You were doing more moping than working. I’ll be better off without your lovesick ass.” Dexter called, grinning as he waved his friends off.

Aleks didn’t get the chance to thank him; James was a man on a mission, and he led him away quickly. Aleks let himself be pulled along, amused by his impatience. James accelerated his pace once they were inside of the hotel, and Aleks nearly tripped up the stairs a couple of times as James tugged on his hand.

“Eager, are we?” Aleks remarked as they raced along the corridor towards the next flight of stairs, their fingers tangled together.  

“You have no idea.” James responded, charging up the staircase, and Aleks elicited a rare sound as he was swept along: carefree laughter. He felt like an untroubled teenager, sneaking off with his crush to make out in secret.

They reached James’s room a couple of minutes later, and as soon as the door was shut, Aleks could practically feel the bubble envelope the two of them, shielding them from the rest of the world. Wasting no time, he yanked James towards him, using their entwined hands as a tether.

He kissed him soundly, lingering for a couple of moments before pulling back. “Shirt off.” He commanded.

“Yes Sir.” James quickly stripped off, and he gave him a cheeky smile once his chest was bare.

Aleks couldn’t resist him when he smiled like that, and he darted forward to press his lips to the corner of his mouth fleetingly, dancing out of James’s reach when he tried to deepen the kiss. “Massage first, sex afterwards.” He told him firmly, pushing James’s wandering hands away. As much as he wanted him, he had to take care of his ailing back first.

James immediately laid down on the bed, needing no further encouragement. “You just can’t keep your hands off me, can you?” He asked teasingly, his dark eyes twinkling under the orange hue of the setting sun as it shone through the window.

“I can’t, no.” Aleks replied honestly, kicking his dirty boots off so he could join James on the bed.

“Because I’m great in bed?” Of course James had to push the subject further, and Aleks rolled his eyes fondly as he straddled him, perching on his thighs so he didn’t strain his back.

“Partly.” He admitted quietly. That was certainly the main reason.

He felt James still underneath him, reacting to Aleks’s tentative tone. “What’s the other reason?” He asked carefully, the ambiance between them shifting suddenly. 

Aleks hesitated, unsure whether he was ready to reveal that piece of personal information. Whilst he had talked about his former life to James in some detail, this particular subject hadn’t come up. They’d mainly talked about their deceased families and their college experiences: nothing that would have a significant impact on their growing relationship

“You don’t have to tell me.” James said hastily, sensing Aleks’s reluctance.

“No, I want to.” Aleks drummed his fingers nervously on James’s skin, glad that he couldn’t see his face whilst they were positioned like this. It made what he was about to say a little easier. “It’s just…I’d never had sex before I met you. With a guy, I mean. So everything is new and exciting and I can’t get enough.” The last sentence was a hurried jumble, his embarrassment getting the better of him.

His confession was met by silence, and he fidgeted anxiously as James processed his words. “I’m the only guy you’ve been with?” He asked slowly.

Aleks’s nervous tapping increased steadily. “Yeah. I’ve kissed a couple of guys, but I’ve only had sex with girls. You’re my first.” _And last_.

Silence.

Aleks continued to drum his fingers across James’s skin, unable to stop the anxious twitching.

Eventually, James reached back, managing to capture one of Aleks’s hands in his, stopping the movement. “I had no idea.” He whispered.

Aleks couldn’t identify the emotion in his voice, and he clenched the fingers of his free hand tightly.

“You should have told me.” James said quietly, and Aleks leaned to the side so he could read his expression. He couldn’t see his face clearly, but the furrow of his brow was enough to tell him that he was troubled. “We could have waited till you were ready. I shouldn’t have assumed…I’m sorry.”

Aleks blinked, stunned. James had completely misunderstood. “You idiot.” He sighed, his lips curving up into a relieved smile. “Of course I was ready. I was the one who initiated our first time, remember?” It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since their first kiss when Aleks had propositioned James, who’d consented immediately. They hadn’t left James’s bed until dinner that evening, hours later.

James relaxed his shoulders, the tension draining away. “So what’s the problem?” He asked, running his fingers lightly over the knife scar on Aleks’s palm.

“My lack of experience.” Aleks replied, bemused. He thought he’d made that obvious.

James shook his head slightly. “That doesn’t matter. Trust me, you have nothing to worry about.” He raised Aleks’s hand, leaning in to kiss each fingertip sweetly, and Aleks felt his anxiety dissipate.

Overwhelmed, he bent down, pressing his chest against James’s back to kiss his temple, the only part of his face he could reach. He hoped the chaste kiss was enough to show his gratitude as he resumed his original position, extracting his hand from James’s hold to begin the massage.

As he began to knead his back tenderly, James rested his head on his arms and turned his face to the side, allowing Aleks to see him more clearly. “I wish you’d been my first.” He murmured. “It means a lot to me that I was yours.”

Aleks wasn’t quite sure how to respond. “There’s nothing wrong with being experienced.” He said lightly, choosing his words carefully so that James didn’t fret over it too much.

His words unintentionally had another effect. “I’ve been with girls too…but I fell in love with a guy in my first year of college.” James’s gaze was fixed to the wall, and Aleks froze, realising he was about to find out more about his past. “Totally unexpected. I didn’t realise I was bisexual until I met Ryan.”

Aleks was scared to even breathe, not wanting to draw James back to the present. He needed to hear this.

“Two years later, we were getting ready to move in together, but then the virus hit our city. We were both at college when it struck, and I raced across campus to find him.” James’s voice was raw with emotion, and Aleks held his breath, preparing himself to hear the ending. “I ran into his lecture, and I found him, still sitting in his chair. The infected had gotten to him first.”

Aleks had lost his girlfriend in a similar manner, but he hadn’t been in love so he couldn’t even comprehend how James must have felt when he’d found his lover’s body. He was at a loss, but he knew that physical reassurance could convey what his words couldn’t. He leaned down, careful not to put too much weight on James’s back, and he kissed his cheek gently. “I’m sorry.” He whispered, smoothing his hand over James’s hair.

James blinked, returning to the present. “Don’t be sorry. It was a long time ago.” He said evenly, but his voice was still tinged with anguish. “Feels like a different lifetime now.”

Aleks suddenly couldn’t control his thoughts, and they spiralled quickly. Visions of a destroyed camp flashed through his mind, confronting him with the possibility of a future without James by his side. It was painful enough for Aleks’s chest to seize up, and his pulse quickened. That was his deepest fear, and James had already faced it when he’d lost Ryan.

He willed himself to calm down, knowing that James was suffering more than him. The position they were in made it impossible for Aleks to kiss him properly so he kissed his cheek again, his lips just touching the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for sharing that with me.” He whispered, knowing how hard it must have been for him.

“Back at you. I’m glad we talked.” James admitted, and Aleks was relieved that the pain had vanished from his tone. “All the shit we’ve been through has damaged us enough. It’s time to move on, together.”

He was right. “What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Aleks stated quietly, recalling the infamous expression.

“Exactly. I feel a lot closer to you now, after telling you about Ryan.”

James wasn’t open like this very often, and his sincerity resonated through Aleks. He twisted his body, the need to kiss him too powerful, and he hovered over James, hoping he’d get the hint.

He did, and he tilted his head, allowing Aleks to kiss him tenderly. The position was uncomfortable for them both but neither cared. The kiss lingered until Aleks realised he was putting all of his weight on James, and he pulled back reluctantly.

“Hurry up with my massage so I can make love to you.” James’s voice was pitched low from the depth of his longing, and Aleks immediately sat up, placing his hands on his lower back. He needed to be close to him physically after what they’d just shared, and he hurriedly got to work.

The air was charged between them, thick with anticipation, and Aleks distantly wondered who would be the first to attack. They were both skilled at doing this dance, teasing and flirting until the other was forced to break. The more he touched James’s skin, the more turned on he got, and he shifted uncomfortably.

Suddenly, Aleks was launched into the air, and his back hit the mattress. James loomed over him, gripping his wrists as he pinned his arms above his head, his dark eyes heated pools of desire.

Aleks was trapped to the bed under his weight, unable to move. “I haven’t finished.” He breathed, noticing that their bodies were perfectly aligned. He rocked his hips experimentally, biting his lip to suppress his moan as he ground into James.

“I don’t care.” James eyes were locked on his mouth, and Aleks quickly took advantage, knowing his partner was unable to look away. He ran his tongue along his lower lip, and James snapped, just like he knew he would.

He charged, crashing their lips together. They fought for dominance but Aleks knew he couldn’t win the battle whilst he was pinned down, and he parted his lips under the weight of his. He itched to touch him, and he tried in vain to free his wrists, but James’s grip remained firm.

“Let me go.” He pleaded once James broke the kiss, his arms aching from the exertion to free himself.

“Ask me nicely.” James murmured, brushing his lips teasingly against Aleks’s neck. He began to trail feather-light kisses across his skin, and Aleks shivered. He would normally drag out the submission but his need was too painful. He needed to touch him _now_.

“Please.” He whispered hoarsely, and James let go.

Aleks ran his hands feverishly over his body as their mouths fused together again, unable to linger in one spot for too long. It was too much and not enough, never enough. He wanted to touch him everywhere, and his fingers explored his chest thoroughly as James’s mouth explored his.

He felt James tug at his shirt, and he raised his arms, allowing him to rip the clothing off. “Better.” James said approvingly, his eyes nearly black with desire as he gazed down at the exposed, tattooed skin at his mercy.

Bare skin slid together as Aleks yanked James down on top of him, impatient for more. He wrapped his legs around his waist, arching his back as James assaulted his lips with rough kisses. He tangled his hand in his curls, using the other to reach down and palm James through his pants. He was about to unzip him when James caught his hand, stopping him.

“You first.”

Aleks was in no state to argue, and he leaned back, allowing James to remove the rest of his clothing. The cold air hit his flushed, sensitive skin and he shivered.

Suddenly, the piercing ring of the dinner bell ricocheted through the haze.

James froze before his lips could make contact, much to Aleks’s displeasure. He choked out an unintelligible plea as he raised his hips, only wanting his boyfriend. Food could wait.

Apparently it couldn’t. James’s stomach rumbled, and he grinned sheepishly.

Aleks knew the moment was gone, and he groaned, rolling over to bury his face in his pillow. So close.

“My bad.”  

James always knew what to say, and Aleks snorted, his frustration dissolving into amusement. He couldn’t be mad; he loved going through the motions with him, even if it meant sacrificing his pleasure. He lifted his head, smiling fondly at a blushing James.

“You’re lucky you’re hot.” He remarked, standing up to put his discarded clothes back on. His trousers were too tight, but he forced them on anyway, wincing as he did his fly up.

“We have time.” James said, still shirtless as he lounged back on the bed.

“You ruined the moment.” Aleks smacked his exposed stomach lightly, and then ducked down to kiss the skin he’d just touched. “Let’s go.”

“I’ll eat quickly.” James promised him, sitting up to put his shirt on.

Aleks shook his head regretfully, retrieving the backpack he used on supply runs from under the bed. “Jordan and I are leaving straight after dinner. You’ll have to make it up to me some other time.” He opened the door, looking back over his shoulder to see a visibly pissed off James.

“God damn it Jordan.” He muttered, following Aleks out of the room. “Do you think he’ll postpone the trip if I ask him nicely?”

“Do you really think our bossy leader will mess up his schedule just so you and I can have sex?” He responded dryly, knowing that there was no chance of that happening.

James proceeded to complain about Jordan in jest as they descended the six flights of stairs to get to the basement, joining the throngs of campers to line up for their dinner. They were served swiftly, and Aleks scanned the room to seek out Dexter, wanting to thank him for earlier. He found him, sitting at a table with Seamus, and he made his way over to him, James following dutifully.

Dexter glanced up as they approached, and he made a disgusted face as he shoved his plate away from him. “Thanks for putting me off my food guys.” He remarked, eyeing their mussed hair and swollen lips.

“You need to get laid man. You’re too wound up.” James retorted playfully, taking a seat. Aleks slid into the chair next to his, smirking as he lowered his tray onto the table.

“Thanks for earlier, by the way.” He said, before Dexter had the chance to respond to James. “We appreciate it dude.”

“That’s what friends are for, I guess.” Dexter replied grudgingly, retrieving his plate. “I think it’s only fair though, that you do something for me.”

Aleks felt his eyes narrow. Of course there had to be a catch. “What do you want?” He asked suspiciously.

“I want what you two have.” Dexter waved his hand in the air, gesturing to them both. “I’m sick of being lonely. Can’t you spread the love a little? Tear yourselves away from each other for a little bit so you can find me a partner.”

“You’ve got a possible life partner sitting right next to you.” James replied, motioning to Seamus.

Aleks didn’t think Seamus had been listening to their conversation as he looked absorbed in his book, but he glanced up sharply. “Please leave me out of this.” He said bluntly, unamused.

James snickered, and he reached over to ruffle his friend’s blonde mane. “Sorry man, I’m only kidding. I wouldn’t condemn you to a life with Dexter by your side. I like you too much for that.”

Seamus gave James a hint of a smile before he turned back to his book, the most expression Aleks had ever seen him make. He was so straight-faced all of the time; it was nice to see his mask break.

“You’re a fucking arsehole.” Dexter stated, frowning unhappily. “I thought I was your friend.”

“You are.” James said nonchalantly, cutting his meat into strips. “I wouldn’t subject you to a life with Seamus either. His sarcasm would probably kill you.”

Seamus chuckled, taking Aleks by surprise. “You know me too well.” He commented, smiling warmly at James.

“I don’t think we should just look at people that are inside the camp. We need to broaden our search elsewhere.” Aleks suggested, and Dexter grinned.

“Finally someone is taking me seriously!” He remarked, and Aleks had to purse his lips, struggling to keep a straight face as he spoke his next words.

“We shouldn’t discount livestock James. I’m sure Daisy would make a great life partner for Dexter.” Daisy was their resident cow, the main source of their milk supply.

James laughed loudly, throwing his head back, and Dexter glared ferociously at him.

“I thought you were going to help me then!” He exclaimed. “But I see James has corrupted you too much. Thanks a lot fellas.”

Aleks shrugged unapologetically, not feeling guilty in the slightest. He was about to respond with another mockery, but he caught sight of Jordan walking towards him. He shovelled his last few mouthfuls of food down instead, knowing he had to leave.

“Good evening boys.” Jordan said in greeting, arriving at the table.

Aleks pushed his plate away, frowning in confusion when he noticed that he wasn’t alone. Aron was beside him, dressed in similar attire to him. Surely that didn’t mean…

“Aron’s coming with us.” Jordan said, seeing Aleks’s expression. “He’s the only one who knows what to get for our radios to work, so we need him with us.”

Aleks wasn’t pleased with the news. It’s not that he didn’t like Aron; he did. He just wasn’t experienced enough in the field, and that made him nervous. He couldn’t afford to be his babysitter whilst they were out in the open. It was far too dangerous.

“Do you need someone else to go with you?” James asked, and Aleks glanced at him. He looked just as apprehensive as he felt, and Aleks wanted to kiss the lines of worry away from his face.

“No, Aleks and I will be fine.” Jordan replied breezily. “We’ll only be gone for a day.”

James didn’t look happy at all, but he couldn’t argue with their leader, even if he was his best friend. He looked at Aleks regretfully, both men feeling uneasy with the arrangement for the supply trip.

Aleks tried to give him a confident smile to comfort him, but he didn’t think it worked. James frowned unhappily, and Aleks placed his hand on his thigh, the gesture hidden from the eyes of the others. “We’ll be fine.” He murmured, echoing Jordan’s words, trying to convince himself as well.

“Are you ready?” Jordan asked, and Aleks tore his eyes away from James.

“Yeah.” He rose to his feet, slinging his backpack over his shoulders. Now all he had to do was say goodbye to James, and he hesitated, unsure how to do so. They usually didn’t show much affection towards each other when everyone was gathered together like this.  

But James didn’t give a damn about the watching eyes on them, and he stood up, pulling Aleks towards him to give him a searing kiss. “Be safe.” He whispered fiercely, gripping the front of Aleks’s jacket tightly.

“Always.” Aleks said quietly, laying his hands over his. He gently prised James’s hands away, raising one to his lips to kiss his palm. “I’ll see you soon.”

It was a promise he intended to keep, and he walked away to follow Aron and Jordan out of the door, comforted by James’s watchful gaze.


	11. XI: Letters from the Sky

Aleks had been right to be cautious.

They’d lost Aron, one day after departing for their task. 

The truck was deadly silent. Jordan’s hands were clenched tightly around the steering wheel as he drove towards the direction of camp, and the air was thick with hostile tension.

Aleks was desperate to break it. He wanted to scream at Jordan for his stupidity and bad judgement, but he forced himself to wait. Instead, he focused on fixing himself up, channelling his anger as he tugged glass shards out of his arm. Blood pooled to the surface, spotting his clothing, but he was too enraged to feel any pain. He quickly rolled down the window to toss the glass out before he could use it to slash Jordan’s throat.

More blood was scattered over his clothing, a bleak reminder of what Aleks had been forced to face that day, at the fault of his alleged leader. The three of them had been ambushed by dozens of infected, and Jordan had left in a heroic attempt to lead them away.

He’d failed to lure them all, and Aleks and Aron had been surrounded. They would have made it out in one piece if Jordan hadn’t locked them inside the building; a fatal mistake. They were helpless prey, and they’d dived out of a window to grasp at their chance of survival, falling two stories until they hit the ground. A zombie broke Aleks’s fall, and he’d viciously hacked his way out of the crowds of infected: injured, but alive.

He thought he had cleared a path for Aron too, but he’d been horrified when he realised he was alone. Aron was gone.

Aleks knew he had fucked up today, but his actions had only stemmed from Jordan’s decisions. He was the one to blame.

He knew Jordan felt differently; the bitter words they’d exchanged as they frantically combed the streets for Aron made that quite clear. They weren’t speaking now, both furious at each other, but Aleks knew a fight was going to break out once they were inside the walls of camp.

Minutes later, they reached their destination. The gate opened, allowing Jordan to drive inside, and a crowd of campers began to make their way over once the truck rolled to a stop. Aleks couldn’t see James, much to his dismay, and he eased himself carefully out of the vehicle, not wanting to strain his aching muscles. He glared venomously at Jordan as he did so; his leader not sharing the same burden as him as he was completely unhurt.

Everyone around the truck was struck silent as they took in the sight in front of them, all realising in unison that Aron was missing. Aleks shifted uncomfortably under their stares, waiting for the inevitable questioning to start. Seamus and Dan in particular looked ready for answers.

Fortunately, the most beautiful sound prevented them from starting their inquiry. “One day, you said.” Aleks heard James’s voice distantly, seeing his mop of black hair at the back of the crowd. “You’re a fucking liar Jordan. I’ve been going crazy thinking about—”

The words suddenly died on James’s lips as he emerged from the mass of people, freezing in horror when he laid eyes on Aleks for the first time.

Aleks tried to smile reassuringly at him. Considering how alarmed James looked, Aleks knew he must look like hell. He’d been lucky not to break anything, but he’d still been battered brutally as he fought for his life against the strength of the infected humans.

James quickly glanced at Jordan, frowning as he noticed his lack of wounds, and then he turned his attention back to his hurt partner, his face flooding with concern. “Are you okay?” He asked quietly, starting forward – not the question Aleks was expecting. He wondered if James had even noticed Aron’s absence.

“I am now.” Aleks replied honestly, once James reached his side. His anger at Jordan remained, but his pain diminished a little as James placed his hand carefully against his cheek, running his fingertips gently over the emerging bruises. It looked like he wanted to do more, but he held himself back.

Aleks wished that they were alone, but he knew that he had more pressing issues to address before they got the chance to be together. Reluctantly, he reached up to pull James’s hand away, and he laced their fingers together as he turned to face the waiting onslaught.

To his dismay, a new addition had joined the crowd whilst Aleks had been focused on James: Stefani, the last person he wanted to break the news to.

“Where’s Aron?” She asked fearfully, her eyes darting back and forth between Jordan and Aleks.

Both men were silent, and Aleks glared accusingly at Jordan as he tried to think of something to say.

“Where is he?” Stefani’s eyes filled with tears, and Joe quickly stepped out of the throng of people to stand by her side, wrapping his arm comfortingly around her shoulders. “Tell me where he is Jordan!”

“We got separated.” Jordan’s voice was steady, grave in tone. “We looked everywhere, but we couldn’t find him. We’re so sorry Stef.”

Aleks blinked, momentarily astonished by the bullshit he’d just listened to, and his simmering anger erupted. “We?” He echoed in disbelief, and he ripped his hand out of James’s hold to round on Jordan. “You’re the only one who needs to apologise. You left us to die!”

His ruthless words reverberated loudly, and there were murmurs in the crowd as they processed his words. Seamus and Dan walked forward, taking a protective stance in front of Jordan. Aleks faced the three of them defiantly, not intimidated in the slightest, his eyes locked on their boss.

“I was trying to protect you!” Jordan snapped, his repressed frustration reaching boiling point; Aleks’s words working as a catalyst.

“Great fucking job.” Aleks spat bitterly. “Some leader you’re turning out to be. Although, I shouldn’t be surprised. You abandoned us, just like you abandoned Cry.”

Jordan flinched, but it wasn’t his reaction that Aleks cared about, not when he heard James inhale sharply at the mention of his friend’s name. He turned quickly, realising his mistake, the red haze of fury fading as he saw the pain on James’s face.

Continuing to lash out at Jordan was nowhere near as important as apologising to James, and Aleks reached out to his boyfriend, choosing a new priority. Before he could step towards him, he was abruptly lured back into the fray by Jordan’s next sentence.

“I did the right thing by leading the zombies away.”

Aleks laughed coldly, amazed by the stupidity of the words. “You locked us in a building!” He reminded him harshly, shaking his head. “You left us gift wrapped for the infected to come along and find us! Don’t bullshit Stef. You’re the one who fucked up, and you need to own up to it.”

Jordan didn’t get the chance to defend himself; Seamus stepped in, raising his hands in solidarity. “That’s enough.” He said firmly. “This isn’t helping anyone.”

Aleks was in agreement; that was the end of the matter, as far as he was concerned. He looked at Stefani apologetically, but she had her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with sobs. Joe was still by her side, holding her in his arms.

“Let’s go inside and cool off.” Dan suggested, the peacemaker of the group. Most people listened, and they began to walk into the hotel. Joe took Stefani’s hand, and he led her inside.

Aleks was rooted to the spot though, gazing at James, who still looked a little unsettled. He took a couple of steps towards him, wringing his hands, unsure if his presence was welcome.

The movement was enough to startle James out of his reverie. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” He said lightly, choosing to ignore what had just occurred between his best friend and his partner. “We’ll take a medical kit up to my room.”

Aleks breathed a sigh of relief, glad that he hadn’t jeopardised their relationship.

But they didn’t get the chance to leave.

“You need to take some responsibility Aleks.”

Aleks halted, and he turned back to face Jordan. He hadn’t realised that he and James weren’t alone. “What did you just say?” He tried to stay calm, but his fury was rapidly returning.

“You heard me.” Jordan had his arms folded, and he gazed at Aleks contemplatively, the epitome of composure. “When I left, Aron was alive. You’re the one who let him down, in the end.”

Aleks snapped.

He flew forward, taking Jordan by surprise as he lunged at him, ready to strike. There was no way in hell he was going to let Jordan shift the blame onto him, not when James was listening. Aleks couldn’t afford to let James’s opinion of him get tainted in any way.  

His fist didn’t hit its target. Strong arms suddenly bound him, locking his limbs down in a vicelike grip. Aleks struggled wildly as he was yanked away from Jordan, but he couldn’t break free. “You need to calm down bud.” Dan said firmly, holding him against his chest.

Aleks didn’t like that one bit, and he thrashed around in his arms. He shot James a helpless glance, but he’d lost him. James was paralysed, unable to do anything, stuck in the middle between his best friend and his lover.

“We’re a team Aleks.” Jordan was no longer fazed, now that Aleks was a safe distance away. “You need to remember that.”

“You weren’t there Jordan!” Aleks hissed, and he stopped moving. Dan’s grip slackened in response, but he didn’t let go. “I tried to save Aron. Fuck you for thinking that I didn’t.”

There was nothing left to say; the damage had been done, and Aleks’s fight left him. He shook off Dan’s arms and stormed away, marching into the hotel without looking behind him. He couldn’t bring himself to meet James’s gaze, knowing that he’d only see disappointment reflected there.

He didn’t give James the chance to follow him either; he ducked out of sight, choosing to hide in Aron’s room whilst he calmed down. He knew he’d be left alone; everyone would give this room a wide berth once they all found out about his disappearance.

~O~

Aleks wallowed in his misery for a couple of hours. He had tried to distract himself by bathing and cleaning his wounds, but the task hadn’t kept him occupied for long. He spent a lot of the time contemplating his argument with Jordan, thinking about how his words had affected James, until he finally couldn’t take it any longer.

Swallowing his pride, he went to seek out the person he needed the most. He had no idea where James would be, and he didn’t really want to search the whole campsite after how he’d acted earlier, not wanting people to talk to him about what had happened. He decided to check James’s room first, and he quickly ascended the flights of stairs until he was standing outside of his door.

Aleks didn’t see the point of knocking. He pushed the door open hesitantly, relieved when he saw James sitting up in bed, reading Cry’s journal. “Hey.” He said softly, hovering in the doorway.

James glanced up, and Aleks couldn’t decipher his expression. “Hey.” He replied, closing his book. “Where have you been?”

The worry in his tone was obvious, and it hit Aleks then that James was hurt. “I was in Aron’s room. I needed to calm down.” He said honestly, quickly trying to make amends. “I know I fucked up.”

James looked down, fiddling with the hem of the blanket. Obviously he had nothing to say, but that was fine with Aleks. He wasn’t finished anyway.

“I’m sorry.” He whispered, knowing his apology was too late at this point. “I’m sorry for what I said about Cry, and I’m sorry for losing my temper at Jordan. I shouldn’t have done that, not in front of you, and certainly not in front of Stef.”

James stayed silent, and Aleks desperately continued.

“I’ll sleep in my own room tonight, if you want. I understand if you—”

“—Shut the fuck up.” James said, cutting him off abruptly, and he lifted the corner of the blanket, a clear invitation. “You’re not going anywhere.”

The warm smile on his face was all the reassurance that Aleks needed, and he hastily stripped out of his dirty clothing to ease himself into bed. He immediately burrowed into James’s open arms, resting his head on his chest. He felt his body melt into him, and all of the tension from the last day drained away.

James took his hand to press his lips to the scar on his palm, and Aleks knew he was forgiven. He tilted his head, kissing the edge of his jaw appreciatively, before tucking back under his chin.

“What happened out there?” James asked quietly, running his hand lightly up and down Aleks’s arm, his fingers lingering over the visible red marks.

“I’m sure Jordan’s already told you.” Aleks couldn’t stop the bitterness from seeping into his tone, and he kissed James’s chest gently in apology. He vowed to keep his frustration to himself from now on, knowing it wasn’t fair to James.

“He’s told me his version, but I want to hear yours. You’re the one who got hurt, after all.”

Aleks didn’t want to spend too long discussing what had happened, but he quickly relayed the main events: Jordan leaving them, jumping out of a window to fight hordes of zombies, and then the frantic searching for Aron afterwards.

James was quiet as he spoke, not interrupting once, and he didn’t speak even after Aleks had finished talking.

Concerned, Aleks leaned up, propping himself up on his elbow so that he could see his face. James was frowning up at the ceiling, and Aleks traced the slant of his eyebrows with his fingertip. “What are you thinking about?” He asked quietly.

“Aron might still be alive.” James murmured, his face clearing, remnants of optimism rising to the surface. “I’ll speak to Jordan in the morning, and then we can go back to look for him.”

“We’ve already spent hours searching for him.” Aleks reminded him, and James turned his head to meet his gaze.  

“That doesn’t mean we should give up on him completely.”

Aleks smiled sadly, admiring his faith, but unable to feel the same. “I wish I had as much hope as you.” He whispered, brushing the back of his hand against his cheek tenderly.

“Hope is all we have.” James said wistfully, and not even Aleks could refute that.

~O~

In the morning, James spoke to Jordan, who agreed with his plan to return to the city. Aleks immediately volunteered to go too, even though his entire body ached. James wasn’t happy with his decision, wanting him to stay at camp to rest, and they fought until Aleks reminded him that he had a duty to Aron. James couldn’t argue with that, and the three men departed camp.

The drive into the city was silent. Aleks and Jordan made no attempt to speak to each other, and the friction between them was strained enough for James to stay quiet, knowing that nothing he said could heal the rift between them.

The first couple of hours were uneventful. There were no infected humans, and no sign of Aron. Aleks didn’t lose focus though; something had to turn up eventually. He just hoped it wasn’t his friend’s dead body.

When James suddenly grabbed his arm in the third hour, pointing at the shadow of a figure inside one of the boarded up shops, it was the sign they’d been looking for. Aleks went to kick the door down but James held him back, shaking his head, unwilling to let Aleks hurt himself further.

Jordan did it instead, and he stormed in, gun raised as he entered the shop, aiming in the direction of the silhouette. Aleks and James swiftly followed, and all three stopped short at the sight of Aron, who was standing behind the counter. He was casually loading wires into his bag, which was brimming with all kinds of technical equipment. “Hey guys.” He said airily, unfazed by their entrance.

James and Jordan seemed to be struck speechless, stunned to see their friend alive and well, but Aleks erupted. “What the fuck Aron?” He exclaimed, bewildered by his nonchalant attitude. “Where the fuck have you been?”

“I could ask you the same question.” Aron replied, heaving his bag onto his shoulders, and he turned to look accusingly at Jordan. “How stupid do you have to be to lock us inside a building?”

Jordan blinked, unable to form a vocal response. He shrugged helplessly.

“Aron, what happened to you?” James asked in amazement.

“You were supposed to follow me” Aleks added, confused. Thinking back to the events of the day before, he had no idea how Aron could have made it out alive without his help.

“I thought you were following me!” Aron responded. “Once we jumped out of the window, I found a hiding place, but when I ducked inside I realised that you weren’t next to me. I stayed there for a little bit until the infected left, and then I gathered up the supplies I needed and slept in here.”

His story made sense. Whilst Aleks had been hacking away at zombies, Aron had chosen the stealthy option instead – the more sensible choice. That’s why he was unhurt and Aleks was not. “I’m glad you’re okay dude.” He said, clapping him on the shoulder. He had to commend him for his quick thinking.

“Stef and I survived for years on our own. Of course I’m okay.” Aron said offhandedly, but he broke out into a grin. “You’re all fucking idiots.”

Jordan laughed, the sound startling Aleks, and he slung his arm over Aron’s shoulders, leading him out of the shop. James and Aleks walked behind them as they headed back to the truck, both relieved by the outcome of their trip. James had the biggest smile on his face, and whilst Aleks was happy that they’d found Aron alive, he had no idea why James seemed so cheerful.

Even when they returned to camp an hour later, James’s bright smile remained. Aron received a hero’s welcome when he emerged from the truck, and Stefani was the first one to throw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

As everyone started to walk back into the hotel, eager to leave the cold outdoors to celebrate Aron’s return, Aleks grabbed James’s hand before he could follow, wanting to speak to him alone first. “Why are you so happy?” He asked him, getting straight to the point.

James’s smile didn’t falter. “Because we found Aron.”

Aleks narrowed his eyes, studying his boyfriend intently. He knew him well enough now to know when he was telling a half-truth. “No, it’s more than that.”

James’s eyed glittered playfully, but he made no move to elaborate.

“Tell me.” Aleks pleaded, wanting to share in his delight.  

James’s face softened, and a rose tint stained his cheeks. “I just feel…truly hopeful, for the first time.” He confessed openly. “Today, I feel like we have a real chance of surviving this. One day our broken government will wipe the zombies out, and we might still be alive when they do.”

His mood was infectious, and his words made Aleks’s uncertainty thaw. His lips curved up into a semblance of a loving smile, and he grasped the lapels of James’s jacket, pulling him towards him. “I hope so.” He whispered sincerely.

James grinned and bumped their noses together, resting his forehead against his. Aleks closed his eyes, allowing himself to picture a future without the infected, in an undamaged world. Whatever he conjured up, one factor remained the same: James was in every single vision.

Aleks’s eyes fluttered open, wanting to tell him, but the words were left unspoken once he met James’s warm gaze.

James leaned in, sealing their lips together, a silent promise. He kissed him softly, adoringly, and Aleks wound his arms around his neck, anchoring them together.

They had arrived at the same realisation, and neither had to vocalise it.

Their future was each other.


	12. XII: Dice

Two weeks later, the next supply trip was planned, and Aleks wasn’t surprised when Jordan didn’t ask him to go. They were on talking terms, but their friendship had altered dramatically after their fight. They’d both apologised, but their conversations were strained. The trust between them was completely broken.

James had tried to resolve the tension. He’d done everything to convince his friend to allow Aleks to go with them; he’d pleaded, he’d yelled, he’d insulted him – all to no avail. Aleks appreciated the effort though.

They were both moping on the morning that James was due to leave. Aleks had risen at dawn with him so that he could say goodbye, and James was currently packing as the first rays of sunlight illuminated the room. Aleks would have enjoyed the sunrise if it wasn’t for his bad mood, and he lounged across the bed, sulking.

“I wish you were coming with us.” James said sullenly, rummaging through one of the dressers to locate his backpack.

“Me too.” Aleks muttered, feeling slightly anxious. Now it was the thick of winter, James was being sent further out of state to find better resources. Aleks hadn’t been happy when he’d been told how many miles they’d be apart over the next few days. He cursed Jordan silently for being so god damn stubborn.

That train of thought led him to an important realisation, and he quickly leaned over the side of the bed to pull out his backpack. Once he found what he was looking for, he offered the item to James, his palm outstretched.

“I don’t need those.” James said firmly, frowning down at the bottle of pills in Aleks’s hand.

“I’ll worry if you don’t take them.” Aleks was already troubled enough about his back, and he couldn’t bear it if James went out in the field without the resources to relieve his pain. The fear would make him lose his mind.

James frowned unhappily, but Aleks didn’t give him the chance to refuse him. “Don’t be an asshole.” He said angrily.

He was about to snatch James’s bag from him to pack them himself, but James took the bottle from him, wrapping it up in a shirt to pack it safely. “Anything else you want to bug me about?” He asked flippantly, choosing not to react to Aleks’s frustration.

Aleks thought for a moment, and then remembered one last thing. He removed the hoody he was wearing, the one that Spencer had given him a while back to give to James. His unfortunate boyfriend had never had the chance to wear it as Aleks had commandeered it for himself – until now.

James looked surprised when Aleks tossed the hoody at him, and he caught it easily. “Am I dreaming? Are you really giving this valuable item up?” He questioned playfully, grinning down at him.

“I want it back in one piece.” Aleks replied threateningly, unable to suppress his answering smile. 

“I’m honoured that I finally get to wear my own clothes.” James said, holding his hand over his heart in mock gratitude. “Thank you.”

“You should be grateful. You’re lucky I like you so much.” Aleks murmured fondly, already feeling the loss of the warm clothing.

James ducked his head shyly in response to his words, and Aleks’s smile grew. James rarely got embarrassed, but it warmed Aleks’s heart when he did, finding his blush very endearing.

“Whilst we’re on the subject of your feelings towards me…I have an idea.”

Aleks tried not to react negatively to James’s words, but he couldn’t quell the flash of panic. He might have accepted his profound feelings for James and envisioned a future with him, but he wasn’t ready to confess his love – if it even was love. He wasn’t in that place yet.   

James didn’t appear to notice Aleks’s hesitation. “Since you sleep in here now, I just thought…well, why don’t you move the rest of your stuff in?”

Not the question that Aleks had assumed. _Thank God._ He was so relieved that he forgot to give James an answer.

“I mean, you don’t have to.” James said hastily, misinterpreting Aleks’s silence. “I understand if you still want your own space.”

Words weren’t necessary to convey Aleks’s answer. He left the bed to grip James’s jaw, pulling him into a kiss hard enough to bruise his lips. He felt James part his mouth in surprise, and Aleks pressed closer, deepening the kiss.

His pulse raced, but it wasn’t from fear. His heart sang with excitement and he was overwhelmed by the rush of affection he felt. He pulled back a little to breathe, unashamedly admiring the man in front of him.

James’s cheeks were flushed, and his eyes were wide open from the unanticipated force of Aleks’s kiss. “Is that a yes?” He asked, breathing heavily.

Aleks wanted to kiss every single patch of his reddened skin. He rose slightly, brushing his mouth against the hollow of James’s temple. “Yes.” He murmured, his lips sweeping across his cheek. “Always a—”

Suddenly James grasped the back of his head, tilting him to align their lips again, and the rest of his answer was lost against his mouth. Aleks smiled into the kiss, settling his hands in James’s hair, lightly tugging on his curls.

James bit his lower lip sensually in response, and Aleks’s mouth opened under the carnal weight of his desire, allowing him to take control of the kiss.

“I hope you’re both decent in there.” At the unexpected sound of Dexter’s voice outside of their bedroom door, James and Aleks broke apart reluctantly.

“Give us a minute.” James called back, and Aleks reached down to pick up a beanie that was laying on top of their bed. He placed it on James’s head, tucking in the stray curls of hair tenderly.

“I suppose I better let you go.” He said half-heartedly. 

James sighed, and he retrieved his backpack, slinging it over his shoulders. “Are you coming down to see us off?” He asked.

“Yeah. I have to try to reason with Jordan one more time, at least.” Aleks answered, opening the door to greet their impatient friend. “Hey dude.”

“About fucking time.” Dexter remarked, shaking his head.

“Good morning to you too.” James said dryly, shutting the door behind them, and the trio began to make their way downstairs. 

Jordan was waiting for them outside, and Aleks quickly sought out the opportunity to talk to him whilst James and Dexter busied themselves with loading up the truck. He approached him cautiously, not wanting to appear too overbearing. “Hey.” He said quietly, getting his attention.

Jordan glanced up from the map he was studying, and he gave him a slight smile. “Hey.”

“Look, I’m only going to say this one more time.” Aleks wasn’t going to get angry, but he was going to be blunt. “I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know what else I can do to earn your trust back, but whatever. I’m done.”

Jordan seemed to deliberate over his words, and then the aloof mask he’d worn over the last couple of weeks shattered. “I’m sorry too.” He admitted, and Aleks knew his remorse was genuine. “I didn’t mean for things to escalate in the way that they did. I said some dumb stuff, and I overreacted.”

“We both did that.” Aleks recalled, remembering the way he’d gone for Jordan. Emotions had been heightened, but that wasn’t enough to excuse the way they’d acted. They were both in the wrong.

“Friends?” Jordan held out his hand, and Aleks didn’t hesitate.

“Loser.” He said jokingly, but he shook his hand, the first gesture towards repairing their friendship.

“You sound more and more like James every day.” Jordan commented, amused by Aleks’s reply.

Aleks turned his gaze to the subject of their conversation, smiling warmly when he saw him bickering with Dexter. “Speaking of James, is there room for one more on the trip?” He knew Jordan would understand what he was asking him.

“Not this time, but I guarantee you’ll be on the next one.”

Aleks had known deep down that Jordan wouldn’t change his mind, but at least there was no more tension between them.

“I’ll look after him, I promise.” Jordan said quietly, knowing exactly who had Aleks so captivated. He didn’t even need to turn his head to know that he was watching James.

“You better.” Reluctantly, Aleks tore his eyes away from his partner to grin at Jordan. “Or next time I will punch you, and Dan won’t be around to stop me.”

In response, Jordan jostled him playfully, and the two friends made their way back to the truck to finish their preparation. Jordan began to relay some instructions to Dexter, and Aleks led James away from them so that they could say their goodbyes in private.

“Any luck?” James asked hopefully, and Aleks shook his head.

“No, you’re still going without me, but Jordan and I are cool now. I think we’ve worked it out.”

James had frowned at the first part, but his face quickly lightened. “Thank fuck for that.” He sighed, relieved. Aleks knew how stressed he’d been by the whole argument, being stuck in the middle between two of the closest people in his life.

Aleks ran his hands down the front of James’s chest, smoothing out the creases in his coat. “Don’t miss me too much.” He said lightly. He was only half joking, knowing he’d miss him like crazy, and he wondered vaguely if James felt the same way.

“I’ll be having the time of my life, killing zombies and shit. I won’t have time to miss you.”

Apparently not. Aleks rolled his eyes, knowing that James was joking, but his words still stung a little bit. “Asshole.” He muttered petulantly.

“Okay, I’ll miss you a little bit.” James admitted, the humour leaving his expression.

“Hurry the fuck up!” Dexter suddenly bellowed, interrupting them for the second time that day.

Aleks and James both flipped him off, and Dexter huffed as he got into the truck. “Just for that, I’m stealing the passenger seat from you.” They heard him mutter.

It was time; they couldn’t delay their goodbyes any longer, and they turned back to face each other. “Be safe.” Aleks whispered, echoing the words that James always uttered to him when he was the one leaving.

“Always.” James murmured, stealing Aleks’s reply in return. He opened his arms and Aleks went into them willingly, raising his own to hold him tightly, pressing their bodies together.

The hug didn’t last long enough for Aleks’s liking. James tried to pull away moments later but Aleks didn’t let him get very far, chasing his lips to kiss him one last time before he left him. Their lips met briefly, the kiss just as passionate as their usual, longer kisses.

James released him with a final kiss to his forehead, and then he was gone.

~O~

The rest of the day was uneventful and Aleks retired to bed early, simply out of boredom. He moved his belongings into James’s room, even though he barely owned anything. Still, it was the thought that counted.

The bed was absolutely freezing without the heat of James’s body, and Aleks had to wrap himself up in his purple hoody and borrow one of James’s beanies in an attempt to get warm.

He tried to sleep, but he drifted in and out of consciousness for hours, unable to fall into a deep slumber. He realised tiredly that he’d become one of those people that couldn’t sleep properly without their lover beside them, and he groaned softly, burying his face in James’s pillow. He’d never imagined needing somebody that much.

Suddenly, the distant sound of the warning bell pierced the silence.

Aleks sprang to action immediately, scrambling out of bed to race towards the stairs. He couldn’t help but think fleetingly that James may have returned, but dismissed that thought immediately. The warning bell wasn’t used for announcing the truck’s arrival, and he quickly descended the rest of the steps, impatient to know what the danger was.

He ran into Joe in the foyer, and they left the hotel together, seeing the problem immediately. Seamus was standing on top of the wall, aiming his shotgun at something outside, and the rest of the night watch team were holding the gate shut.

Aleks didn’t hesitate; he grabbed two guns out of the crate by the ladder, handing Joe a sniper and keeping a shotgun for himself. If the danger was in close range, he wanted to be the one to take it out. Nothing was going to threaten the life he’d built here.

“I already told you, the answer is no.” Aleks heard Seamus say angrily, and he quickly climbed the ladder to join his friend’s side, Joe following behind him.

The darkness hindered Aleks’s eyesight, but he could just about see the outline of human figures below them. There were about five or six males, judging by their build, but he couldn’t make out any finer details.

“But we’ve heard your camp takes in survivors. We’ve survivors, aren’t we fellas?” One of the men leered, and Aleks felt his blood run cold.

He knew that voice.

He had to be certain though, and he toggled the flashlight on his shotgun, shining it in the intruder’s eyes to get a good look at him. He recognised every single man in the group, and he quickly shut the flashlight off before they got a good look at him in return.

The men were Hunters, a group of vicious humans that he and Cry had encountered on their journey here. They’d unintentionally walked straight into their zone of the city, and the men had appeared normal at first – until Aleks saw what they were burning in their campfire. Limbs of human remains were being roasted – and Aleks and Cry were going to be their next victims. They’d barely made it out of there alive.

“These men are Hunters.” Aleks said quietly, trying to keep his voice steady, fighting the bile that rose in his throat. “We can’t let them anywhere near the camp. They’ll kill everyone.”

That confirmed Seamus’s suspicion. “I didn’t trust them from the moment I saw them.” He replied, matching Aleks’s low tone, keeping his shotgun trained on the men below. “Have you met them before?”

“Yes.” Aleks said tersely, keeping his reply short. It was too dangerous for a long discussion; he needed to eliminate the threat. He may have the advantage, being up high, but there was no cover if the men shot back. “What do we do?” He’d leave the decision up to Seamus.

But the Hunters forced his hand instead. One of the men reached into his pocket, and Aleks saw a flash of metal under the glimmer of the moonlight.

He didn’t give him the chance to unpin the grenade. He fired his shotgun rapidly, and the man’s startled cry told him that he’d hit his target. “Next time it will be your head.” He hissed coldly, and Seamus and Joe quickly readied their guns, preparing to shoot the rest. “We have ten snipers aimed at you” – he didn’t, but the Hunters wouldn’t know he was lying – “Leave, and do not come here again.”

The Hunters made no move to leave.

Aleks fired another shot, aiming at the ground beneath their feet, forcing them to leap back. Joe and Seamus edged further along the wall, firing warning shots of their own.

The men had no choice but to scatter, the trajectory of the bullets coming from three different directions, and they sprinted down the highway, hastily making their escape.

Aleks didn’t lower his gun until he was certain they were gone.

“We should have killed them.” Joe muttered, resuming his stance by Aleks’s side.

“Then we’d be no better than them.” Seamus said evenly, reloading his gun. “They got the message, loud and clear. They won’t be back again.”

Aleks knew he was right, but he couldn’t help but feel a little apprehensive. “If they do return, we’ll kill them on sight.” He said firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument.

“Agreed. I’ll increase the number of people on watch, and everyone that works outside will be armed at all times.” Seamus decided, in charge of the camp whilst Jordan was away.

It was the best decision under the circumstances, and Aleks and Joe both gave their agreement, joining the watch team for the rest of the night.

~O~

One week passed.

The Hunters did not return, but Aleks felt uneasy. He volunteered for watch duty every single day, just in case they did turn up. Knowing that James was out there with those monsters nearby only added to his agitation.

On the afternoon of the seventh day, Aleks saw a glorious sight through the scope of his sniper from his perch on the wall: the truck heading towards camp, a couple of miles away. “Jordan’s back.” He announced, speaking to the other guards on watch. “If you see anyone near the truck, take them out.”

The other campers nodded, raising their snipers to seek out the truck. Aleks returned his gaze to the scope, relieved when he saw James sitting in the passenger seat.

As the truck drew closer, Aleks raised his hand in the air, signalling a warning to his friends. The other guards mimicked the action, and the truck sped up in response, Jordan behind the wheel.

Aleks tensed his body, awaiting an ambush, keeping his finger steady over the trigger. He scanned the periphery of the highway, looking closely for any figures in the line of trees that lined the concrete.

Suddenly he saw a blur of movement, and he fired three rounds sharply. He didn’t wait to get a better look; James was too close, and he had to protect him. He didn’t care if there was nothing there; if the Hunters were still in close range they’d hear the shot, and it should send them further away.

“Open the gate!” He yelled to Seamus who was down by the entrance, the truck almost reaching its destination. Jordan must have had the accelerator pressed to the floor, judging by the speed the vehicle was travelling at.

Seamus and his team quickly opened the gate, and the truck swerved inside, slamming to a sharp stop.

“Keep an eye out.” Aleks instructed his team, holstering his sniper to his back so that he could climb down the ladder and greet his friends.

His feet had barely touched the ground when Jordan emerged from the truck, glaring at him. “What the hell are you doing?” He demanded furiously, storming towards him. “Are you trying to lure the zombies to our location?”

“Jordan, wait.” Seamus grabbed his arm, halting him in place.

“We have a problem.” Aleks told him calmly, refusing to react to his boss’s temper. “We’ve got Hunters.”

James and Dexter joined them, and Aleks ran his eyes over James’s form as they processed his words, looking for any visible injuries. Upon seeing none, he relaxed slightly.

“What the fuck are Hunters?” Dexter asked, raising his eyebrows, having never heard the term before. James looked just as confused, which relieved Aleks, glad that he’d never had the misfortune of meeting them. 

“Hunters are humans that have turned to cannibalism. They’ll do anything to get what they want.” Aleks explained bitterly, still haunted by his encounter with them. “They’re rapists, they’re monsters, and they deserve to die.”

Everyone was taken aback by his words. “How do you know this?” Jordan asked, but it didn’t look like he wanted to know the answer.

“I’ve encountered them before.” James looked at him in alarm, and Aleks pressed on, ignoring his gaze. “The Hunters that came to camp last week are the same men that Cry and I ran into when we travelled together. That’s how I know what they’re like.”

Nobody seemed to know how to respond. Dexter and Jordan exchanged glances, neither meeting Aleks’s eye, so he turned to look at James, who was still staring at him in horror. “They didn’t harm us.” He said, continuing hastily, realising that James was probably thinking the worst. “We made our escape in time.”

James visibly sagged with relief.

“So they came to camp?” Jordan questioned, also relieved by Aleks’s admission. “What did you do?”

“We scared them off.” Seamus answered, speaking up before Aleks could. “One went to throw an explosive but Aleks got to him first. We haven’t seen them since, but we’ve increased our security around the wall.”

“I thought I saw a glimpse of one of them when you were driving into camp, so that’s why I shot.” Aleks added. “Having you so close, I couldn’t take any chances, in case they were waiting to attack.”

“That’s all we need, having to watch our backs from our own kind.” Jordan sighed, shaking his head, appalled that such people existed. “You both did the right thing though. We’ll have to be more vigilant from now on.”

“We’ll kill them on sight.” Seamus said firmly, and Jordan nodded his agreement.

“I support that decision.” He replied, turning back towards the truck. “Let’s start unloading, we can carry on discussing this later.”

Aleks and James were the only two who didn’t obey his instruction, and they stayed where they were. Aleks studied his boyfriend curiously, noting the huge grin on his face, a complete contrast to the troubled expression that had painted his face only moments earlier. “What’s made you so happy?” He asked him.

“You.” James answered, smirking. “You’re hot when you get riled up.”

Trust James to turn the past conversation into something lighter, and Aleks rolled his eyes. “Shut the fuck up, and say hi to me already.” He said, waiting for him to make his move.  

“Hi.” James replied cheerfully, ignoring the hidden request in Aleks’s words.

The game between them was starting already, and Aleks narrowed his eyes. He wasn’t going to be the one to break first. “Smartass.” He muttered, and he reached down to place his sniper back in the weapons crate. He didn’t need it now.

He gave James _the look_ , and marched towards the truck. He didn’t even need to look behind him to know that James was following him. He walked straight past their friends and headed towards the hotel, only one destination in mind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jordan looking at them, but Aleks ignored him.

“Hey guys, aren’t you going to help—”

“Later.” Aleks heard James curtly reply, and he heard hurried footsteps behind him. The chase was on.

Aleks quickened his pace too, slamming the hotel doors behind him to give him some time. He bolted up the right staircase and then darted down the corridor towards the other set of stairs, guessing that James would take the usual six flights straight up to their room. Mixing up the route would give Aleks more time.

To reach the top floor, he used the staircase that was the furthest away from their room. He crept down the corridor, keeping an eye out for James as he approached their room slowly.

Suddenly he heard a door fly open, and strong arms grabbed him from behind. “Fuck.” Aleks sighed, relaxing into James’s chest, knowing he’d been caught.

“Better luck next time.” James whispered huskily, his warm breath on the back of Aleks’s neck making him shiver. He loosened his grip, allowing Aleks to turn around in his arms.

“Hi.” Aleks murmured once they were facing each other, no longer interested in running away, his eyes glued to James’s lips. They’d been apart for a week, he was done with his teasing, and now all he wanted to do was rip James’s clothes off.

“Hi.” James’s eyes smouldered with desire, and Aleks charged, smashing their lips together. Despite their thick layers of clothing, he could feel the heat of James’s body burning through him, and he pressed closer, wanting more.

James’s hands roamed freely, slipping underneath Aleks’s hoody to caress his bare skin, his fingertips igniting a trail of fire wherever he touched. Aleks felt like he was drowning, lost in the sensation of James’s touch, and he distantly felt James walking him backwards. His back suddenly hit the wall, and James crowded up against him, assaulting his lips with hot, passionate kisses.

Aleks pressed against him with greater urgency, desperately seeking some kind of relief as James claimed his mouth violently. He could feel how hard James was, and the feel of him straining against the denim of his jeans heightened his desire. Aleks quickly arched his back, hitching his leg around James’s hip to press their erections together, grinding against him.

“Bedroom,” He panted as James began to trail kisses down his neck. “Need you…need you to fuck me.”

“Fuck,” James breathed, his eyes wild with lust, taking Aleks’s breath away. “Fuck, okay.” He grasped his thighs, and Aleks eagerly took the hint, leaping up to wrap his legs tightly around his waist, allowing James to carry him. He usually protested this kind of move, but he was too overwhelmed with need.

He was still able to fight for control though, and he drew James’s bottom lip between his teeth to kiss him possessively, yanking his head back roughly with his hands. James made a noise of surprise, low in his throat, and he planted his hands on Aleks’s backside, digging his fingers into the denim.

Somehow, they made it to their room.

There was no awkwardness, no hesitant touching. They’d done this dance before. Clothes were fervently shed, and James settled his body over Aleks’s, his mouth exploring every inch of tattooed skin. It was too much and yet not enough. Hearts raced, blood pulsed through veins.

And then James was inside him, and they moved together. There was no pain, not like the first time, only pure ecstasy. Foreheads touched and hands clasped…and time froze for a moment as they embraced the white hot burn …and then it surged forward with such poignant pleasure.


	13. XIII: To Build a Home

The further into winter it got, the worse the weather became. Every day, the camp was flooded with a torrent of heavy rain, meaning that outside duties became unbearable. A few people fell ill because of the cold, but Aleks was fortunately not one of them.

Due to the work he and James had put in over the past month, Jordan gave them a reprieve, and they spent four work-free days together, only emerging from their room to eat and occasionally hang out with their friends. Aleks embraced being alone with him; they spent hours talking, laughing, and having sex. The only menial task they did was the laundry when they had to wash their bed sheets, and they bickered the entire time.

Just like a normal couple.

But there was a problem. It was only a minor inconvenience, but it was annoying to Aleks nonetheless.

There were times when he caught James staring at him, which was fine until Aleks realised he wasn’t looking at him in the way that he usually did. He frowned a little, but his expression always cleared when he caught Aleks’s eyes, and he’d play it off if he was called out on it.

James wasn’t the only one acting strangely. Aleks noticed their friends behaving in an unusual manner too, snickering behind his back. He felt like he was missing out on a private joke, and he didn’t like it.

On the day he resumed his daily duties around camp, he decided he couldn’t take it anymore. After he finished his last task, he went to corner James, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen with Dexter and Seamus.

As expected, his friends greeted him cheerfully when he walked in, mirth clearly evident in their expressions. Dexter was wearing his usual smirk, and Seamus at first glance appeared to be his straight-faced self - until Aleks saw him smother a smile with his hand.

“Okay, I give up. What’s the joke?” Aleks demanded, choosing a direct approach.

James blinked, the epitome of innocence, but Aleks knew better. He narrowed his eyes at him, and James quickly averted his gaze back to the vegetables he was cutting.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about mate.” Dexter replied airily, trying - and failing - to look surprised by Aleks’s question.

“Bullshit. You’ve been giggling behind my back for days.” Aleks said firmly, and then he whirled around to face James, stabbing his finger in his direction. “And _you_! You keep looking at me weirdly.”

James furrowed his brow slightly, and he lowered his gaze to Aleks’s mouth. “No I don’t.” He said stubbornly.

The lie was useless. “Yes, you do. You’re doing it right now.” Aleks folded his arms, and waited. He was going to stand there until someone told him the truth.

He thought it would be Seamus who’d say something; he was usually the most helpful out of the trio, but it was James who cracked first.

“Fine. I can’t take it anymore.” James flung his knife down, taking Aleks by surprise. “Come with me.” He stalked past Aleks, promising the guys he’d be back in ten minutes, and Aleks quickly chased after him. He hadn’t expected this response.

James was silent as he led Aleks to their room, and he marched into the adjoining bathroom, grabbing Aleks’s shoulders to shove him in front of the mirror. “There.” He said plainly, standing behind him.

Aleks peered at his reflection, but he didn’t have a clue what he was supposed to be looking at. “I literally can’t see anything wrong.” He commented, meeting James’s gaze in the mirror.

“Look again.”

Aleks did. Nothing changed. “I don’t get it.” He said blankly.

James frowned, and his hand left Alek’s shoulder. “This, Aleksandr.” He stated, reaching around him to tap at his upper lip. “What is this?”

Now Aleks understood. He rolled his eyes, turning around to look at James properly. “Are you serious right now?” He questioned, shaking his head at the inanity. “Is my moustache really the reason why you guys are all so worked up?”

“You can’t call _that_ a moustache Aleks. That’s an insult.” James replied, frowning down at the object in question.

“Well what is it then?”

“Peach fuzz.” James’s quick reply told Aleks that he’d been thinking a lot about this. “That is the worst fucking facial hair I have ever seen.”

Aleks couldn’t be annoyed by the insult. It was kind of endearing seeing James so passionate about something that really wasn’t a big deal. Who knew facial hair could cause such an overreaction? “At least it’s keeping me warm.” He said jokingly, biting his lip at James’s furious glare. He wanted to laugh but he resisted, knowing he’d upset James further.

“It needs to go.” James’s tone made it clear how serious he was.

“I’ve never complained about your facial hair, so why can’t you be nice to mine?” Aleks wasn’t being serious, but he couldn’t avoid the opportunity to wind James up further.

James remained stony-faced.

“Fine. I’ll get rid of it, if it will make you happy.” Aleks chose not to admit that he wanted his moustache gone too; only James could make facial hair sexy.

James didn’t hesitate; he flung open the bathroom cabinet, pulling out a razor blade from a plastic box.

“Where the fuck did you get that?” Aleks asked in bewilderment. He hadn’t seen one in months as it was a rare item to acquire. He’d searched camp more than once to find one, to no avail.

“I’ve had it for ages, but I’ve been saving it for an emergency. I think this counts.” James replied, reaching down to pick up their basin of water.

“Drama queen.” Aleks muttered, taking a seat on the counter, and James placed the basin down beside him. Aleks distantly felt a pang for the days of hot, running water.

James stepped between his legs, and Aleks was about to lock them around his waist until he realised that wasn’t a good idea. Having James distracted whilst he used a very sharp blade on his skin would only end badly. He stilled his body, trying not to move as James placed his hand in the water and wet his upper lip with his fingertips.

“Do you trust me?” James asked him lightly, holding the blade inches from skin.

“Always.” Aleks’s reply was instant; he didn’t even need to think about it.

Gently, James placed the blade against his skin, carefully scraping it along the line of Aleks’s moustache. He frowned in concentration as he worked, completely engrossed in the task, and Aleks struggled to stop his lips from curving up into a smile. He had to look away, and he raised his eyes to the ceiling.

He felt James pull the blade away seconds later, and he dabbed some more water onto his skin. “Better.” He murmured, stepping back to admire his handiwork.

“Yeah?” Aleks wanted to glance in the mirror, but he wanted James more. He lifted his legs, wrapping them around James’s waist to yank him back to his original positon.

“Yeah.” James leaned in, pressing his lips to the shaven area, his tongue darting out to taste the droplets of water on Aleks’s skin.

Aleks decided that he deserved to be rewarded for his hard work, and he guided James’s face with his hands, aligning their lips properly. They kissed lazily, exploring each other’s mouths slowly. Aleks’s skin was a little sensitive but he loved the sensation of James’s coarse moustache grazing against him.

When James pulled away, Aleks tried to follow, wanting to continue what they’d started. “I need to get back.” James said regretfully, attempting to disentangle himself from Aleks’s hold. “Or dinner won’t be ready on time.”

“So?” Aleks said impatiently, deeming his need more important than the rest of the camp.

“So everything.” James responded, grinning affectionately at him as he finally managed to prise his legs away.

“Ugh, fine.” Aleks hadn’t really believed he’d win the argument. He slid off of the counter, following James to the door.

James paused when he noticed Aleks behind him. “You don’t need to help me, you know. Enjoy your break.” He said, blocking the doorway to prevent him from coming through.

“It’s no fun getting off when you’re not here.” Aleks said matter-of-factly, using James’s surprise at his candid comment to brush past him. “Let’s go.”

Aleks’s new look didn’t go unnoticed by their friends when they walked back into the kitchen a couple of minutes later. “For fuck’s sake James, what have you done?” Dexter remarked, looking disappointed. “You’ve taken away our source of entertainment.”

“Fuck you Dex.” Aleks said light-heartedly, responding to the jibe to let James resume preparing their food. He glanced at Seamus, daring him to insult him too.

“I’ll miss placing bets on where your hair would grow next.” Seamus confessed, unable to stop himself from contributing as well.  

“You’re not allowed to talk shit about my moustache, not when your hair looks like that.” Aleks retorted swiftly, seizing the opportunity to mock him in return.

“Touché.” Seamus nodded at him, forming a silent truce.

“I’ll miss taking the piss out of you to James.” Dexter commented, dishing out portions of scrambled egg onto trays. “That was the highlight of my day, winding him up about you.”

No wonder James had been so worked up, having to deal with their friend’s taunting whilst trying to defend his boyfriend at the same time. Aleks leaned in to kiss his cheek sweetly, appreciative of his effort, and James smiled shyly.

“Aw guys, now you’re making me feel bad.” Dexter said, watching the two of them interact. “Stop it.”

“In order to feel bad, you’d need to have a heart…but you don’t.” Seamus quipped, leaping to the defence of his friends.

Dexter threw an egg shell at him, and Seamus quickly grabbed some food waste of his own, raising it in the air threateningly. 

Aron’s sudden appearance in the kitchen stopped the food fight before it could begin. “Hey guys, you need to come and see this!” He exclaimed, his eyes bright with excitement. He beckoned at them impatiently, backing out of the door.

He’d piqued all of their interest, and they followed him into his room, which had been nicknamed the technical hub.

Aron pointed to his desk, where there were eight walkie-talkie style radios lined up. Aleks could barely believe his eyes, and he picked one up, cradling it in his hands reverently. “Do they work?” He asked, flicking the power switch on. The answering crackle gave him his answer, and he met James’s awed gaze.

Aron picked a radio up for himself. “What do you think?” He questioned, speaking directly into the mic, and his voice resonated through Aleks’s walkie-talkie clearly.

“You fucking legend!” Dexter crowed, slapping Aron on the back.

James took his delight one step further, and he scooped Aron into his arms, raising him in the air. Aleks chuckled as Aron wriggled in his hold, but his brilliant smile told him that he didn’t really mind the gesture. “Put me down you oaf.” He said amiably, no real fight in his words.

James laughed, and he placed Aron back on the ground. “You’ve saved our lives man, I hope you know that.” He said warmly. “Thank you.”

Aron shrugged, brushing aside their gratitude. “I didn’t do much.” He replied modestly.

“Dude, shut the fuck up. You’re awesome.” Aleks told him, taking his turn to thank him. Aron might not think his work was a big deal, but it meant a significant amount to Aleks. The radios would solidify communication around camp, and they would be invaluable on supply runs. James was right; the radios would improve their chance of staying alive.

“What are you working on next?” Seamus asked Aron practically, already thinking about the next invention for camp.

“A radio unit. I want to extend the frequency so that we can tune into other waves and find out who else is trying to communicate out there.” Aron told him, holding up some unwired panels. “It will take me a bit of time though.”

“Take all the time you need.” Seamus said kindly. “If you need anything, just let one of us know. I’ll travel all over the state if it means that we can get in touch with the other survival camps.”

Aleks nodded his agreement, also willing to venture out to acquire the necessary equipment.  

“Will do. But at the moment I need something very particular…sustenance.” Aron said playfully, shoving James towards the door. “Get back to the kitchen peasants, and make me dinner.”

“You’re the boss.” James gave him a mock-salute as he left the room, and the others followed him out, walking down the corridor towards the kitchen.

Aleks felt a rare glimmer of hope, and he knew it showed in his expression. James caught his gaze, both thinking about the conversation they’d had after they’d found Aron, a couple of weeks ago. They’d pictured their future then but now their dream felt more realistic. Aleks wanted it badly, and he wasn’t afraid to admit it now.

“Do you know what this means?” Seamus remarked, his train of thought similar to Aleks’s, his eyes bright with excitement.

“Yeah, I do.” Dexter answered. “This means we’re going to have to put up with Aleks and James pining over each other through the radio waves.”

That wasn’t the response Seamus had expected, but he chuckled all the same.

“And if you’re lucky, you might even hear us having radio sex.” Aleks said, completely deadpan.

James laughed loudly, and he slung his arm over Alek’s shoulders, pulling him towards him to kiss his temple. Aleks smiled, unable to keep a straight face, and he allowed himself to get swept up in the waves of optimism that radiated from his friends.    

~O~

The portable radios weren’t the only technology that Aron fixed. He also restored an old film projector, discovering a couple of reels of film with it. They were films from decades ago, but films nonetheless. James had been particularly thrilled with this discovery.

The camp had its first movie night two days later, after dinner. Tables were pushed to one side, and chairs were placed into rows, turning the basement into a cinematic environment. Aleks had to help with the washing up, but James promised to save him a seat.

Fortunately, Aleks finished his work just as the opening sequence of _The Sound of Music_ began. The basement was dark, the only light source the large projection, and Aleks scanned the rows of people, seeking out James. He found him instantly, spotting him in the front row with the rest of their close friends, and he made his way towards him. Seeing the delight on the children’s faces as they stared at the screen in awe put a smile on Aleks’s face as he walked past them.

His smile vanished when he reached the front row, seeing no empty seat for him. He looked at James pointedly and folded his arms, unimpressed. “Excuse me.” He hissed. “Where’s my seat asshole?”

“Right here.” James patted his lap, and Aleks glared furiously at him. Yes, he liked sitting on his lap when they were alone, but there was no way in hell he was going to sit on him in front of their friends.

“No way.” He said angrily, ignoring the hushing that people sent his way.

“You’re blocking my view.” Dan piped up, his seat behind James’s.

“Shut the fuck up Dan.” Aleks snapped, but he sat down on the floor, not wanting to ruin the experience for his friends. He wouldn’t give James the satisfaction of leaning against his legs, and he shifted his body towards Jordan’s chair instead, much to James’s dismay.

“Don’t be a dick.” James whispered irritably, watching his boyfriend prop himself up against another man – even though that man was his best friend. “Get the fuck up.”

“No.” Aleks said stubbornly, and he turned his gaze to the film, purposefully avoiding James’s eyes to infuriate him even more.

“Aleksandr!” The outraged cry confirmed James’s anger.

“Will you two be quiet?” Dexter hissed from behind them. “You’re ruining the film.”

Aleks stuck his middle finger up at him, but didn’t look away from the screen. “You’re really comfy Jordan.” He remarked, wanting to antagonise James further.

Unfortunately, Jordan wasn’t brave enough to face James’s wrath with him. “I’m staying out of this.” He said evenly, moving his legs away from Aleks to tuck them up in his chair.

Now Aleks had lost his back support. Frowning, he scanned the rest of their friends, looking for his next opportunity to wind James up by leaning on somebody else. The only other people he felt comfortable with were Dexter and Seamus, but they were both in the second row, out of James’s line of sight. The taunt would only work if he was visible.

He went with plan B: sitting up straight, deliberately turning his back to James.

The plan worked for the first hour.

However, Aleks underestimated how long the film was, and his back began to hurt. He tried to stretch subtly, not wanting James to catch on, but it didn’t help. He needed something to lean on.

He chanced a look at James, who was gazing at him, having noticed his discomfort. Aleks expected a snide comment, but he didn’t get one. James parted his legs, creating a gap on the chair, a silent peace offering.

“Not a word.” Aleks whispered warningly, rising to his feet to sit in the space, sullenly admitting defeat. He nestled against his chest, allowing James to wrap his arms around his waist. Technically he wasn’t sitting on his lap, he was only sitting between his legs, which helped him get over his defeat.

He turned his head to look at James, surprised when he saw him smiling. There was no smugness in his expression; he looked genuinely pleased by Aleks’s decision. He leaned in to kiss him but Aleks moved out of the way before his lips could make contact, still a little pissed off with him. He may have lost the battle but that didn’t mean he was going to make it easy for him.

He returned his gaze to the film, sensing James’s eyes on him, but he ignored him.

“I’m sorry.” He heard James whisper, and Aleks froze, taken aback by the unexpected apology. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

Aleks’s icy façade melted. He couldn’t be angry with his lovable idiot of a boyfriend for too long.

But James wasn’t finished. “I’m just happy to be with you, and I’ll take any excuse to be near you.” He murmured, his admission touching Aleks, and he twisted his upper body to face him.

“Stop talking.”

James faltered, frowning apprehensively.

“Stop talking so I can kiss you, idiot.” Aleks whispered, and he took his face in his hands to kiss him tenderly. “You could never make me uncomfortable.” He added quietly, pulling away to trace the contour of James’s lips with his fingertip. He only pretended to be standoffish; secretly he adored his partner’s affection.

Nothing else needed to be said, and Aleks turned back to the film. James’s arms returned to his waist and Aleks placed his hands over his, linking their fingers together.

No words were vocally spoken during the rest of the film, but plenty was said through the light touches they shared. James pressed gentle kisses to his skin every few minutes, and Aleks leaned in to each one. Occasionally he’d tilt his head, allowing James to kiss his lips softly, appreciative of every loving gesture.

Their friends noticed the open display of affection, and although they looked at them in mock-disgust, they were all secretly pleased, seeing them both so happy.


	14. XIV: One Last Night

Aleks was used to his friends disturbing him and James by now, but their interruptions were never welcomed…particularly in the middle of the night, when he was trying to sleep.

He started awake at the sound of someone banging on his bedroom door, and he felt James stir beside him. Aleks kept still, attempting to fall back to sleep. He knew that there was no danger; he and James were both due to go on a supply run so the wake-up call was expected – just not this early.

“Guys, get up!” He heard Seamus bellow from outside. “It’s time to go.”

“For fuck sake.” James muttered groggily, and Aleks felt him shift closer to him, inching into his warmth. “It can’t be time already.”

Aleks didn’t respond, determined to play dead for as long as possible. It was a trick he was good at.

“Don’t make me come in there.” Seamus exclaimed threateningly, pounding on the door again. “I don’t want to wash my eyes out with bleach.”

“Fuck you, we’re up!” James yelled, and Aleks commended himself when he didn’t jump at the loud volume of his voice. “Give us a fucking minute.”

Aleks was disappointed when he felt James leave the bed, missing the heat of his embrace, but he didn’t show it. He kept his eyes closed and his body still, attempting to gain a few more precious minutes of slumber. He heard the sound of Seamus’s footsteps fading away, and hoped James would return to bed now that he was gone.

No such luck. “Aleksandr, I know you’re awake.”

Aleks knew that James wouldn’t fall for his act, but he wasn’t going to give up. He stayed where he was, eyes firmly closed.

Suddenly his blanket was ripped away, and the cold air on his bare skin made him flinch, ruining his lifeless performance. “You asshole.” He groaned, burying his face in his pillow.

But James wasn’t finished with his torture. Aleks felt him grasp his ankles, and he quickly gripped the bed frame with his hands, knowing exactly what his partner was planning to do. “Don’t you fucking dare.” He hissed, attempting to discourage James from yanking him out of bed.

It didn’t quite work. James tugged him backwards, only using enough strength to make Aleks slide down the bed slightly. It was meant to be a warning. “What are you going to do to stop me?” James asked him teasingly.

“No more sex.” Aleks replied instantly, knowing exactly how to wound him.

There was a pause as James hesitated. Aleks sensed victory.

“You wouldn’t.” James’s tone betrayed his uncertainty.

“Oh, I would. I was celibate for years before I met you. I could start that streak again.”

James immediately released him, and he stepped back. “You’re a cruel man Aleksandr Marchant.”

“A cruel man who is much smarter than his boyfriend.” Aleks retaliated quickly, leaving the bed – on his own terms. “I’ve got you whipped.”

He was only joking, but James smiled genuinely at his words. “Yeah, you kinda do.” He admitted sheepishly, looking so endearing that Aleks couldn’t help but dart across the room to plant a quick kiss on his lips.

“Luckily for you, it works both ways.” He murmured, drawing back to smile fondly at him. Deep down, he was just as bad as James. He felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest whenever he thought about him. He was besotted – that, he could admit now. He was falling for him, and it terrified _and_ excited him.

“Good to know.” James said warmly, but he ruined the moment when he threw a pair of dirty pants in Aleks’s face. “Now hurry up and get dressed, asshole.”

~O~

The flirtatious insults continued, even after James and Aleks met up with Dexter and Seamus downstairs to finish their preparation. They bickered over what to take, what to eat for breakfast, what guns to bring – driving their friends crazy as they tried to one-up each other.

Aleks gave up though once they were on the road, his earlier exhaustion kicking in. He could feel himself drifting off as his friends talked quietly, and he slumped in his seat, beginning to lean towards the window.

Suddenly the truck lurched to the right, and Alek’s head smacked into the glass. “What the fuck?” He cried angrily, and he glared at James, who was the one behind the wheel. “Why the fuck did you do that?”

“No sleeping in the truck.” James said offhandedly.

“Since when?” Aleks demanded, clutching his forehead. He’d definitely have a bump later.

“Since now. You don’t deserve to sleep, not after what you threatened me with this morning.” James told him, looking smug, and Aleks deduced that he must have been waiting for his chance to have his revenge. He’d used his weakness against him earlier, and now James was doing the exact same thing – exploiting Aleks’s newly discovered love of sleep.

“Fuck you.” He responded moodily.

“Excuse me?” James exclaimed, raising his eyebrows in mock-disbelief. “What did you just say to me?”

“Oh boy.” Dexter muttered from the backseat, but Aleks ignored him.

“Fuck you!” He repeated, adding more venom to his tone. He had nothing else to say, and he sank down in his seat to get comfortable, closing his eyes again. James wouldn’t dare to –

– Suddenly something cold splattered onto his face.

“What the fuck James?” He exploded, turning on his boyfriend as water droplets trickled down his skin. “You fucking asshole!”

James grinned, pleased with himself, and he tossed his nearly-empty flask onto the floor by Aleks’s feet. “I told you. You’re not allowed to sleep.”

“Not cool mate.” Dexter remarked, taking Aleks’s side to avoid facing his wrath too.

“Complete waste of water.” Seamus added, shaking his head in mock-disappointment.

“Worth it.” James shot back, his smirk growing at Aleks’s dripping hair and soaking skin, enjoying the look of his drenched, seething boyfriend.

Aleks was too furious to form words. This was a lot worse than being pushed out of bed. He leaned over to shove his middle finger in James’s face, hoping it was enough to convey his rage. The sex ban was definitely back on the table, but he’d keep that to himself until it was time to make a power play again.

James didn’t seem fazed by the rude gesture, and he captured his hand in his. Aleks tried to yank his hand away but James held on, wrapping his fingers around his clenched fist. He beamed at him, and all traces of smugness vanished in the brilliance of his smile.

Aleks’s anger thawed a little, and he let James rest their hands on the console between them. He didn’t unclench his fingers though, refusing to let him hold his hand properly.

But that didn’t deter James, who continued to hold onto him for the next couple of miles.

Aleks relented when the muscle exertion started to make him ache and he relaxed his grip, flipping his hand over to weave their fingers together. “Fucking idiot.” He murmured tenderly, unable to hide his smile.

“I don’t know what’s worse – you arguing, or you making googly eyes at each other.” Dexter commented, and Aleks glanced back to see him gazing at them in mock-disgust.

“Both come with an uncomfortable amount of sexual tension.” Seamus said dryly, and Aleks shrugged his shoulders, not denying it. He and James had a fiery, passionate relationship – and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

~O~

The first few days soon flew by. They discovered a new territory, which meant untouched resources, and they looted as much as they could fit into the truck. The supplies were of such good quality that Seamus deemed their run over, but as it would take them well over six hours to get back to camp, they stopped at a farm for the night to wait until it was safe to travel.

What they’d thought would be a one-building, one field farm turned out to be acres of land and a manor. James stopped the truck outside of the main house, and they all got out cautiously, readying their weapons.

“Let’s split up.” Seamus suggested, taking Aleks by surprise as they’d stayed as one group for the entire time. “We’ll cover more ground that way.”

“Aleks and I will search the manor.” James quickly volunteered, edging towards the house. “You two check the barns.”

“Cheers for giving us the creepy option.” Dexter said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. “Just remember, it’s always the couple that sneak off to have sex who die first in a horror film.”

And there was Aleks’s opening. _Time for revenge_. “There’s no chance of us dying any time soon.” He remarked, his eyes trained on James, waiting for his inevitable reaction. “James isn’t having sex for a very long time.”

He wasn’t disappointed. James halted, and his head whipped towards him so fast that Aleks was surprised he didn’t break his neck. “What did you just say?” He demanded, eyes wide open in alarm.

“After your stunt in the truck the other day, there’s no way in hell you’re getting laid any time soon.” Aleks told him, the essence of indifference, even though he knew he’d suffer just as much as his boyfriend would.

“Aleksandr!”

“Sucks to be you.” Dexter snickered, amused by James’s obvious misery. “And now that’s our cue to leave.”

“Agreed.” Seamus added, backing away. “Have fun guys. Don’t kill each other.”

“No promises.” Aleks retorted, waving his friends off. He chanced another look at James, who was still staring at him in horror. He bit his lip to conceal his smile and swept past him to kick in the front door, raising his shotgun as he crossed the threshold.

“I thought I was forgiven.” He heard James mutter petulantly as he followed him into the house.

“Hell no.” Aleks scanned the entrance hall, looking for any sign that the manor had been disturbed by the infected. Upon seeing none, he began to inch down the corridor, sweeping his gun from side to side as he peered into empty rooms. “You fucked up big time.”

“How long are you going to punish me for?” James asked warily, creeping past him to take the lead, training his shotgun ahead of them.

“Depends.” Aleks paused to open a door, and he snuck inside when he saw that it was a kitchen. Food was always a necessity, even though they’d gathered more than enough from their earlier stops.

James backtracked, and he lingered in the doorway, watching Aleks search the cupboards. “A couple of days?” He guessed.

“More like a couple of months.” Aleks responded, wrinkling his nose when he saw the outdated sell-by date on the tin he’d picked up. Six year old chicken soup? _No thank you._ “Are you going to help me or not?”

“Or not.” James shot him a cheeky smile, and then left him to it. Aleks presumed he was going to check the rest of the rooms on the first floor so he let him go without an argument.

There was no food that was edible for the people at camp, but he found a couple of knives that were similar to the ones he used in combat, and he added them to the collection in his backpack.

The pantry was also disappointing, and most of the shelves were empty. Someone had clearly been here before them.

He headed back into the corridor, and he found James in the room at the end. “Found anything?” He asked, lowering his shotgun now that he knew the first floor was clear.

“Yes.” James didn’t elaborate, and his eyes glinted with vigour. He pointed behind him, and Aleks turned to see what had caught his attention.

In the corner of the room, was an acoustic guitar. Aleks didn’t know why the instrument appealed to James, and he looked back at him, raising his eyebrow.

“You used to be in a band. Play me something.” 

“I played the bass.” Aleks reminded him, but he walked over to pick up the guitar anyway.

“Same thing.” James said airily, and Aleks shook his head. The two instruments definitely _weren’t_ the same, but he couldn’t be bothered to correct him. He’d lost his passion for music a long time ago.

He played a chord anyway to humour him, and James looked delighted by the sound, even though the guitar was out of tune. Aleks strummed a couple more chords, and before he knew it, he was playing a melody. He couldn’t remember the name of it, but he could visualise the notes as his repressed musical memory rose to the surface. 

“We need to take the guitar with us.” James commented, watching Aleks’s fingers pluck the strings. “We need more ways to lighten up the camp.”

As earnest as he sounded, Aleks didn’t believe him. He could feel the heat of James’s gaze from where he stood, and he knew exactly what that look meant. “Are you sure that’s the only reason?” He asked teasingly.

“Okay, it’s a bit of a turn on too.” James admitted, his eyes darkening. “You look hot.”

Aleks was already regretting the sex ban, but he forced himself to remain firm. “Maybe we shouldn’t take it then. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” He said coyly, daringly pushing James to his limit.

“Put that fucking guitar in the truck right now.” James growled, and Aleks grinned as he strapped the instrument to his back, obeying his request. 

They left the room, and Aleks had to dart out of James’s reach as they walked back to the main hall, refusing to let him shower him with any kind of affection. They both sobered up when they reached the staircase, their safety not guaranteed yet, and they pulled out their guns as they headed upstairs.

Fortunately, the top floor was also clear of danger, so they returned to the master suite to have a look for anything else of value. Aleks began to rifle through some personal effects, feeling a pang of guilt as he did so. He had never liked looking through other people’s possessions. Stealing food was one thing, trespassing on someone’s privacy was something different altogether.

James meanwhile opened up the doors to the balcony, and he stepped outside to have a look. Aleks didn’t pay him much attention until he heard him call his name, and he put down the jewellery he’d been examining to join him.

Outside, James was looking up at the sky. “It’s snowing.” He murmured, holding his hand out to catch a snow flake in his palm.

Aleks could just about see small flecks of white amongst the darkness, but it wasn’t heavy enough to be a huge concern. The ground was too wet for it to lay, which meant it wouldn’t hinder their journey back to camp.

“Do you think we’ve missed Christmas?” James asked him, the snow now a droplet of water in his hand.

“Probably.” Aleks replied. They’d been stuck in winter for a while. “It feels like January.” It was impossible to know for definite though.

James was silent, and Aleks watched him catch another snowflake in his palm. He couldn’t help but feel a little worried, not used to him being so quiet. The pensive frown he wore only added to Aleks’s concern. “Are you okay?” He asked hesitantly, unsettled by the sudden mood swing. They’d been laughing and joking around only minutes ago.

“Yeah. I just wish our lives were different. I always think that, but it’s times like this when it hits me the hardest.” James whispered, touching the snow that was beginning to lay on the balcony rail with his finger. “We live in a world that’s forced us to abandon our humanity and our traditions. A few years ago, I couldn’t imagine not celebrating Christmas. Yet, here we are.”

Aleks hadn’t expected such an honest, frank reply, and it broke his heart seeing the pain on James’s face. It was a rare sight, and he didn’t like it. James was the positive, optimistic one; he was the light and Aleks was his shadow. That was how it was supposed to be. Aleks searched desperately for the words to form a reply, but he couldn’t think of any.

James took his hand away from the rail and he turned back to Aleks, wiping his wet fingers on his jeans. “Ignore me, I’m just feeling sorry for myself.” He said lightly, his expression clearing.

But Aleks didn’t want to ignore it. “We could always have our own Christmas.” He said, finally thinking of a way to relieve some of his pain.

James looked a little unsure. “Yeah?”

“We could find a tree, and we could snuggle up in bed in front of the fire.” Aleks could visualise it clearly; it wouldn’t be traditional but it would be enough for them. “And if the snow lays, I’ll kick your ass in a snowball fight.”

“You wish.” James didn’t seem uncertain anymore, and Aleks knew that he was beginning to warm up to the idea. “You could play Christmas songs on your new guitar.”

“I could try.” And Aleks would. He’d do anything to alleviate his sorrow. 

“But no sex?” James’s mischievous smile was back, much to Aleks’s relief.

“I suppose I could make an exception, just for Christmas.” He said playfully. “I will need to give you a gift, after all.”

James’s face lit up, and he gave him a warm smile. “Thank you.” He murmured sincerely. “That sounds perfect.”

Aleks knew that he wasn’t just referring to the sex, but to the whole concept. “Anytime.” He said softly, and then he waited for James to kiss him, expecting a physical display of gratitude. He wanted it badly, needing the assurance that everything was still okay between them.

He didn’t get it. James leaned forward but then he remembered himself, and he pulled back before their lips could meet. Aleks presumed that he’d remembered him refusing his advances earlier.

“Kiss me.” He whispered hoarsely, gripping the lapels of James’s coat with his fingers, tugging him towards him. “Please.”

James didn’t deny his request, and he kissed his lips gently, resting their foreheads together. Aleks raised his gloved hands to cradle his face, his eyes drifting closed as James wrapped him up in his arms, revelling in the warmth of his embrace as the snow drifted down on them.

~O~

The night passed quickly. Dexter and Seamus joined them in the manor, and they took turns sleeping until dawn broke.

The drive back to camp was uneventful, and they decided to make one last stop before returning home. There was a pharmacy unit in Aurora, the city that was the nearest to camp, that Seamus wanted to go to. They’d picked up medical supplies already, but they needed more as there was still a lot of illness in camp.

The streets were quiet as James drove through the city, which unnerved Aleks. There was always something out there in a place that big. His friends didn’t really seem to care about the silence, and James parked the truck outside of the pharmacy, which was located amongst a strip of stores.

Aleks readied his shotgun, and he allowed the others to enter the pharmacy first. Seeing nothing suspicious, he backed into the shop, keeping vigil in the doorway.

“Hey James, look what I’ve found.” Dexter’s remark grabbed Aleks’s attention, and he glanced behind him to see his British friend holding up a couple of bottles of lube. He jokingly offered them to James, who snatched them out of his hand.

“Thanks for looking out for me man.” James responded cheerfully, putting them into his backpack. “I appreciate it, and so will Aleks.” He slung his arm over Dexter’s shoulders, who made an unintelligible sound and quickly shoved him away, making Aleks snicker.

“I thought you were on a sex ban.” Seamus said dryly, scouring the shelves for actual medicine.

“A man can dream.” James retorted before Aleks could reply, and he swept the rest of the bottles into his backpack.

“I’m sure James can find somewhere else to stick his dick for a while.” Dexter piped up as he pocketed some pills. “Or maybe someone else.”

Aleks knew that he was joking, but he glared at him furiously for the insinuation. That wasn’t an option; that would never be an option.

Dexter caught his gaze. “Note to self, don’t piss off the angry Russian holding a shotgun.” He muttered, and Aleks saw James glance over at him. He gave him a reassuring smile before turning back to Dexter.

“I’d never been with anyone at camp until I met Aleks, so when did I become a sex-crazed fanatic?” He questioned lightly.

“When the two of you got together and put the top floor out of bounds for the rest of us.” Dexter replied, grimacing.

“We’re not the only couple at camp, you know.” Aleks stated, no longer annoyed. “Why do James and I get all the shit?”

“Because you’re both assholes.” Dexter fired back, grinning impishly. “But you’re also my brothers, so I have no choice but to take the piss out of you. It’s the law.”

Aleks rolled his eyes, but he felt a little moved by Dexter’s admission. It was a nice feeling being referred to as someone’s family, even though they were all dysfunctional in their own way.

“Hate to break up the moment, but we need to look upstairs. This stuff is a load of shit.” Seamus remarked, tossing a bottle of pills behind him. “There’s a stock room on the top floor.”

“Race you there!” James exclaimed, and Dexter accepted the challenge. Both of them sprinted to the staircase, and Aleks could hear them bickering as they disappeared up the steps.

“Idiots.” He muttered, meeting Seamus’s amused gaze.

“Wouldn’t have them any other way.” He said warmly. “You and I need people like that in our lives.”

Aleks had to agree. Both of them were stoic individuals, hardened by the way of the world, but they could be their true selves around the right people. Aleks definitely had that relationship with James, and he wondered who Seamus was thinking about.

He didn’t pry though, respecting his friend’s privacy, and Seamus began to head for the staircase.

Aleks returned to the doorway to scan their surroundings one more time, when a flash of movement at the end of the street caught his eye. It was gone before he could get a good look, but he could have sworn it looked like a human. He raised his shotgun immediately, and edged out of the pharmacy.

He walked past the truck, eyes slanting left and right as he headed to where he’d seen the person – if it even was a human. The infected could move that fast too.

He could feel eyes on him, and he whirled around, shotgun at the ready.

Seamus was behind him, armed with a rifle. “What have you seen?” He whispered, joining his side.

“Not sure.” Aleks resumed his stride, keeping his movements light to avoid making much noise.

Unfortunately he forgot about the radio attached to his belt, and James’s voice crackled through the air. “Hey asshole, where’d you go?”

Quickly, he unhooked the radio and held it up to his mouth. “I’ve seen something down the street. Seamus and I are going to check it out.” He said quietly, knowing the mic would relay his words clearly.

“Do you need backup?” James sounded concerned, and Aleks knew why. Neither of them liked being apart when things got serious.

“No. It’s probably nothing. We’ll meet you back at the truck.”

“Okay. Be safe.”

“Always.” Aleks murmured, placing the radio back. He left the line open, knowing that James would want to listen in, just in case.

They arrived at the end of the street, rounding the corner where Aleks had seen the figure disappear. There was another vacant street, but it was an alleyway that caught Aleks’s attention and he began to walk towards it.

The alley was empty apart from a couple of dumpsters, but it split off in two different directions. Aleks met Seamus’s gaze, and they nodded at each other, a silent agreement. Seamus chose one path and Aleks took the other route.

Everything was silent, just like when they’d arrived. It put Aleks on edge and he quickened his pace, wanting to be clear of the alleyway so that he could return to James. He wasn’t going to continue his exploration after this.

Then he saw something that made his blood run cold. He’d encountered a dead end, but that wasn’t the problem. It was the bloody handprint on the wall that spooked him. As he stopped in front of it, he could see that the blood was fresh.

Someone, something, was here.

Alarmed, he took a step backwards...straight into the barrel of a gun.

“I’ve been waiting for you.”

Aleks knew that voice.

The Hunters were here.

 


	15. XV: Salted Wound

**A/N: Trigger warning – some of this content may be unsettling.**

* * *

 “Drop the gun.”

Aleks did so, quickly reaching for his knife in the same moment.

The gun barrel hit him on the back of his skull: a warning. He froze, his hand hovering over the sheathe.

“Don’t fucking move, or I’ll blow your brains out.”

Aleks believed him.

“Turn. Slowly.”

Lowering his hand, Aleks turned to face the Hunter, meeting his gaze boldly. His confidence faltered however, when he realised that he was surrounded by three of them – and he recognised every single one of them.

The Hunter with the gun was Dom, the leader, and he was flanked by his two right-hand men: Marcus and Nathan. Aleks had the misfortune of meeting them in the past, and he knew how dangerous they were. He felt his chance of survival diminish dramatically.

He prayed desperately that James and the others had made their escape. He couldn’t bear the thought of the Hunters getting their hands on James, knowing how sadistic they were with their torture. He’d rather die than watch the man he loved suffer.

“I’m glad we’ve met again Aleks.” Dom murmured, pointing the barrel of his rifle directly in Aleks’s face. “You and I need to talk. You escaped us once before, but then you refused me a happy reunion when you wouldn’t let my boys into your camp.”

Aleks didn’t answer, didn’t react. He refused to give him the satisfaction.

“So, so rude.” Dom tutted, running the barrel over Aleks’s skin. The cold metal pierced his cheek, but Aleks didn’t flinch. He kept his eyes on Dom, refusing to look away, refusing to be submissive.

But he was forced to break eye contact when he saw three more Hunters round the corner, holding Seamus at gunpoint. Aleks felt a surge of horror – if they had Seamus, then they might have James.

“Where’s the rest of them?” Dom demanded, stepping away from Aleks.

Aleks didn’t dare to move. He and Seamus were unarmed, and outnumbered six-to-two. The odds were not in their favour.

“We couldn’t find the others.” One of the Hunters piped up, holding his gun to Seamus’s temple. “Only this guy.”

Aleks could have collapsed with relief. _Thank God._ James was safe.

“They can’t be far away!” Marcus snapped, speaking for his leader. “Did you search the street?”

Dom held up his hand, and the conversation came to an abrupt halt. No one dared to speak. He looked back at Aleks, his eyes calculating, and his gaze dropped to his belt.

Aleks knew exactly what he’d seen, and he tried not to flinch when Dom snagged the radio from him, holding it up to his mouth. “I’ve got your boys here.” He drawled into the mic, smiling coldly at Aleks. “It would be a real shame for you to miss out on the fun.”

Aleks closed his eyes, silently begging James not to answer.

The radio stayed silent.

But that didn’t deter Dom, and he switched it on again. “The feisty ones are my favourite. Thank you for giving me Aleks…I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him since he escaped my camp.”  

Bile rose up in Aleks’s throat. _Please James…don’t say anything. Don’t come for me._

There was still no response from the radio.

Aleks met Seamus’s gaze, both of them breathing a sigh of relief. They knew that Dexter and James were too smart to be baited so easily.

“You can come and rescue them…or we’ll string their quartered corpses up. Your choice.” Dom flicked the radio off, and stamped it into the ground.

“Maybe we should make it a little easier for the others, boss.” Nathan spoke up, his grey eyes glinting with malicious intent. “They might not see us in the alley.”

“Excellent idea.” Dom ran his eyes up and down Aleks’s form, making him feel sick to his stomach. “Take them back to the street.”

Aleks didn’t resist when Marcus and Nathan grabbed him, forcing his arms behind his back, and he allowed them to walk him through the alleyway. He needed to be in James and Dexter’s periphery before he made a move – he knew that they wouldn’t leave without attempting a rescue first. The street was where he needed to be.

Seamus didn’t put up a fight either, and Aleks knew that he had thought of a similar plan to his.

What Aleks hadn’t anticipated was the truck not being there. He knew that James wouldn’t abandon him, but he couldn’t stop the jolt of horror that impaled through him.

“What the fuck?” Marcus hissed, also realising that the truck had disappeared. “They’ve fucking gone.”

“Looks like we won’t be playing with our food before we eat it.” Dom remarked callously, staring at Aleks again. He raised his rifle, pointing the barrel directly between his eyes. “Any last words?”

Aleks met his gaze defiantly, determined to be a challenge till the end. “Fuck. You.” He spat.

Marcus swiftly punched him in the stomach for the insult to his leader, but Aleks refused to double over in pain, unwilling to break eye contact with Dom.  

A vile smirk slowly spread across his face. “I knew I liked you for a reason.” He whispered, and Aleks had never seen anyone look as sinister as Dom did in that moment.

The Hunter cupped his face with his hands, forcing Aleks to break his carefully constructed façade. He struggled, trying to break away, but Nathan and Marcus held him steady. He tried frantically to yank his head out of Dom’s grasp, but his grip remained firm.

“I’m going to keep you.” He murmured, withdrawing his hands. “Take him into the alley.”

Aleks knew exactly what was going to happen. Death would have been a gift. “No!” He cried out, realising his fate. He thrashed, he kicked, and he fought desperately against his captors…all to no avail.

Through the haze of fear, he could see Seamus begin to struggle against the other Hunters as he was dragged away. “Don’t touch him!” He heard him yell, his horror shattering his composure. “Let him go!”

Marcus and Nathan had Aleks utterly bound. Seamus was restrained. Dexter and James were nowhere to be seen.

Aleks knew that it was hopeless, but he didn’t give up. He would fight until he could fight no more.

The Hunters forced him to the ground but Aleks refused to lay still. He writhed his body, refusing to let the men pin him down. “Fuck you!” He hissed, lashing out with his limbs.

Suddenly Marcus seized his head and rammed it into the concrete. Aleks distantly heard a crack…hazily felt a warm pool of liquid soaking into his hair. Black spots blurred his vision, but he clung onto consciousness, still trying desperately to thwart the rough hands that tugged on his clothing. “No… _no!_ Stop! Please… _no_!”

And then, the most blissful sound.

A barrage of gunfire.

_James._

Aleks didn’t need to look. He didn’t stop struggling.

A spray of blood splattered against his skin. Marcus fell beside him, dead.

Aleks snapped.

It was his turn.

He swiftly grabbed his knife, slamming it into Nathan’s throat as he aimed his shotgun at Aleks’s saviour. The blood coated Aleks’s skin but he plunged the knife deeper, watching the life drain out of Nathan’s eyes as they crashed back to the ground. This time, Aleks had the power.

He left Nathan’s crumpled body on the pavement, breathing heavily as he rose to his feet.

Everything was a red haze. He couldn’t see clearly, couldn’t make out fine details.

But he could see the bodies on the ground. There were six. Six Hunters.

He counted the unharmed figures still standing, even though he couldn’t see their faces. Three. Two friends, one lover.

His ears rang, but the mist began to clear.

Suddenly he couldn’t breathe.

He gasped for air as he backed away from the obscure silhouettes, clutching his throat. He felt suffocated, felt like those vicious hands were still choking him. He faintly felt the blade of his knife puncture his skin, but he couldn’t force his hands away.

“Aleks, give us the knife!”

“He’s going into shock. James—”

“—I’ve got this.”

Aleks could hear the murmurs but they didn’t make sense…until James’s voice broke through, overriding everything else.

Everything remained muted, but James emerged from the fog. Aleks eyed him wildly as he began to approach him cautiously.  

“Aleks, give me the knife.” His gentle voice was everything.

Aleks lowered his arms and he offered James the weapon, his hands shaking. James reached out slowly, taking the knife by the hilt. Their fingers touched and Aleks recoiled, his back hitting the brick wall behind him.

He couldn’t think of a word to describe James’s expression as he flinched away from him. Pain, hurt, anguish, anger…it was all there…and every single emotion hit Aleks like a bullet to the chest.

He watched James warily as he handed the knife to Seamus. Their eyes locked, and neither looked away. James didn’t make another move to approach him, but he held his hands out, palms outstretched.

Aleks stared blankly down at the offering.

“Are you okay?” James whispered, his tone raw with emotion.

Aleks was completely numb. He didn’t know how to feel. “I don’t know.” He said brokenly, and he heard his voice crack.

James started forward but remembered himself, halting before Aleks could move away again.

Aleks continued to gaze down at his hands. They weren’t the hands that had touched him brutally. They weren’t the hands that had held him down against his will.

James’s touches were tinged with devotion. He looked at Aleks like he mattered. He held him tightly in his comforting arms. He touched him lovingly, kissed him passionately.

Slowly, Aleks placed his hand in James’s, lifting his head to meet his gaze. He saw nothing but tenderness…and dare he think it, love.

James had come for him. James had saved him.

James was his.

James was home.

The revelation punctured Aleks’s clouded vision and he fell forward, straight into James’s waiting embrace. He would have collapsed if James hadn’t wrapped his arms around him, securing them together. “It’s okay, I’ve got you baby.” He murmured, and Aleks closed his eyes tightly, burying his face in James’s neck. He breathed in…once, twice, three times…and relaxed.

He felt James run his hands over his body, but he didn’t shy away. He was safe. He felt him touch the back of his head gently, and his fingers were bloody when he pulled them away. He looked concerned but Aleks didn’t care for his own injuries, and he leaned back a little to look him over in return.

Seeing no harm, he returned to James’s arms, resting his head on his shoulder as he fisted his hands in the back of his jacket. After what he’d just endured, he wasn’t letting him go.

“Guys, we need to leave, before the other Hunters turn up.” Seamus’s voice interrupted their trance, but Aleks could barely him. All he could focus on was James.

“Dexter, get the truck!” James barked, trailing his hand up and down Aleks’s back soothingly. Aleks leaned into the touch, peering up at him as he spoke to the others. “Seamus, go with him, just in case.”   

James looked angry, but when he returned his gaze to Aleks, his face softened. Aleks was dimly aware that he was covered in blood, his own and the Hunter’s, but James didn’t seem to care, and he clutched him closer.

They stood there, locked together, until the rumble of the truck engine forced James to pull away. Aleks refused to let him go, his grip iron-clad, and James had to awkwardly manoeuvre them into the backseat of the vehicle.

“Get us out of here.” He said edgily, and Aleks silently seconded that statement.

Seamus put his foot down and the truck roared to life, surging forward. The bodies on the ground disappeared from sight as they left the street, much to Aleks’s relief, and he felt some of his anxiety dissipate.  

Dexter and Seamus were completely silent in the front as James guided him down to lay his head on his lap. Aleks felt him begin to prod gently at the back of his skull, and knew that he was cleaning his wound. He closed his eyes, only focusing on his partner’s tender touch and the comforting reassurances that he was murmuring to him.

He couldn’t really hear the words, but the gesture soothed him, lulling him to a state of tranquillity as James carded his fingers softly through his matted hair.

~O~

No one asked any questions when the truck turned up at camp. The crowd of people waiting to unload fell silent instantly when they saw the state of the four of them. They stared at Aleks in particular, much to his disdain, noting his ashen complexion and his blood-soaked clothing.

James was a pillar of ice, glaring at anyone who dared to step within a couple of feet of Aleks as they exited the vehicle. His body shook with repressed fury, the events of the past hour taking their toll on him as he stared his campmates down. Aleks watched him carefully.

“The Hunters have been taken care of.” Seamus said curtly, slamming the truck door shut. He didn’t elaborate, and Aleks noticed a few of their friends exchange concerned glances.

Jordan approached the group, being the first one to do so. Dexter and Seamus stood still but Aleks backed up, shrinking against the truck. He wasn’t ready to talk. He wanted the staring to stop. He wanted _out_.

“Back off.” James’s words were a warning, and he took a protective stance in front of Aleks.

Jordan halted immediately.

“Seamus and Dexter will fill you in. Aleks and I are leaving.” James said tersely. Without looking away from Jordan, he reached his arm behind him, and Aleks grabbed his hand gratefully.

James led him away, marching briskly into the hotel. The need to be alone overwhelmed them both. They were silent as they headed to their room, but the stillness wasn’t uncomfortable. Just being in James’s presence was enough to soothe Aleks.

They didn’t speak once they were in their room either. Aleks ripped off his clothing and went straight to their basin of water to wash himself, wanting to cleanse his body of the ordeal he’d been through. He scrubbed the filth and blood from his skin, and he didn’t care that he rubbed his skin raw from the pressure he exerted.

James did though. Aleks saw him frown, and his lips flattened into a thin line. Wisely, he chose not to comment.

Once Aleks deemed himself clean, he crawled into bed, staring unseeingly at the wall as he waited for James to finish up in the bathroom.

To his alarm, when James emerged a couple of minutes later, he grabbed one of the blankets from the bed and laid it out on the carpet.

“What are you doing?” Aleks demanded, and he bolted upright to stare at him in horror.

“Sleeping on the floor.” James replied, frowning slightly in confusion.

“Why?” Aleks hated that his voice broke when he uttered that one word, rejection and hurt crippling him. He couldn’t lose James after everything they’d been through.

“I didn’t know if…” James trailed off, leaving his words unfinished. He shrugged helplessly.

“I’m not broken.” Aleks whispered, directly addressing the events of the past day. “Today hasn’t…I’m not damaged.”

James looked like he was moments away from crying. “No baby, you’re not.” He said hoarsely, and he retrieved the blanket from the floor. “Of course you’re not.”

Relieved, Aleks laid back down. James settled into bed beside him, but he left a space.

Aleks didn’t want that; he couldn’t have any distance between them. He squashed the gap, practically laying on top of him as he cuddled up against him. He closed his eyes, relaxing for the first time since returning to camp. Now he was truly home.

James enfolded him in his arms, burying his face in his damp hair.

“Thank you for saving me.” Aleks murmured tiredly.

“Always.”

Warmth bloomed in Aleks’s chest at James’s choice of word. It was theirs, and it meant so much. He wanted to show his appreciation, and he opened his eyes, leaning up imploringly.

James answered his silent plea, and he tilted his head to kiss him gently.

But Aleks didn’t want to be touched delicately. One small kiss wasn’t enough, so he crushed their mouths together again with an urgency that extinguished the hesitancy. James responded as he intended, and he kissed him back with equal fervour.

Satisfied, Aleks pulled away, settling back down in James’s arms. He was exhausted, but he was finally beginning to feel okay again.


	16. XVI: Feel Me

When Aleks awoke the next morning, the horrific events of the day before felt like a distant memory…until his gaze landed on the pile of bloodied clothes on the floor.

Reluctantly, he slipped out of bed, leaving the warmth of his partner’s embrace. James didn’t stir, much to Aleks’s relief. He knew that he needed the rest after everything they’d been through, and he kissed his forehead tenderly,

After getting dressed, he gathered up his sullied clothing and made his way down to the clothing bay.

Spencer was inside, doing the laundry. Aleks was glad that he was alone; he still wasn’t up for a serious conversation with a large crowd of campers. “Hey dude.” He said quietly, closing the door behind him.

“Hey bud!” Spencer greeted cheerfully.

Aleks waited for the inevitable questioning to start, but Spencer didn’t say anything else. Aleks relaxed, grateful for his friend’s respect of his privacy, and he took a seat beside him, adding his bloody clothing to the laundry pile.

“I wouldn’t bother washing those.” Spencer said lightly, glancing down. “Those stains will never come out.”

“I can’t really afford to lose more clothes.” Aleks admitted. His collection of garments dwindled every time he went on a supply run.

“Don’t worry about that. Joe and I already sorted out some more clothes for you.” Spencer nodded over to a folded pile of clothing on top of one of the shelves, and Aleks stood up to examine it.

All of the items were in his size, and he’d even been given a replacement set of brown trousers. He felt his lips curve up into a smile, knowing James wouldn’t be happy when he saw them. He had a vendetta against Aleks wearing brown, for some reason. “Thanks Spence.” He said appreciatively, picking up the pile.

“No problem.”

Aleks sat back down, resting the clothing on his lap. “What have I missed these past few days?” He asked casually, wanting to fully immerse himself back into camp life. Chores would keep him busy, and they would stop him from thinking about the remaining Hunters still haunting Aurora.

“Nothing much. Aron’s fixed up some more stuff, including another truck.” Spencer told him, scrubbing at a pair of mud-coated jeans. “He’s also repaired the main radio console, and managed to tune into some other frequencies. Turns out the government are working on a plan to annihilate the infected.”

A familiar pang hit Aleks squarely in the chest: hope. “What are they going to do?” He tried to keep his excitement at bay, refusing to get swept up entirely by the news.

“They won’t say, but at least they’re trying to do something.” Spencer didn’t sound too optimistic, and Aleks could understand why. It might take years for the government to formulate a plan, and by then, they could all be dead.

Aleks wouldn’t lose faith completely though, and he remembered James’s prior words. _Hope is all we have_.  

Hope kept them alive, hope maintained their resilience. If there was a semblance of a future for them all, Aleks would do everything in his power to get them there. He’d envisioned the life he wanted, and he’d designed it with James. They were going to triumph, together.

Yesterday was just a blip in their journey, and they’d successfully overcome it. Aleks knew that there would be many more obstacles along the way, but he was more than ready to confront them. Nothing was going to tear him and James apart; nothing was going to threaten their future.

Suddenly the door to the clothing bay flew open, and Aleks and Spencer both glanced up, startled by the abrupt interruption.

James stood in the doorway, his eyes wild with panic. His hair stuck up in all directions, as if he’d been running his hands frantically through it, and his clothes were rumpled. When his gaze landed on Aleks, he visibly slumped in relief, and he leaned against the doorframe, panting slightly.

Aleks realised that James must have panicked when he’d woken up alone in bed, and guessed that he’d gone on a frenzied tour of the hotel to track him down. Just by looking at him, Aleks could tell that James was more affected by yesterday than he was. Concerned, he rose to his feet, placing the pile of clothing down so that his hands were free.

“Good morning.” James said, attempting to sound nonchalant, but failing miserably.

Aleks cast his gaze to Spencer, who got the hint immediately. “Good morning to you too.” He replied, edging towards the doorway. “Sorry, I can’t stay. I promised Joe I’d help him with his chickens.”

James nodded, and he stepped forward to let Spencer pass. As the door clicked shut behind him, Aleks moved away from the bench. He didn’t close the distance between them completely, and he stopped a couple of feet away, eyeing James warily.

“Are you okay?” James asked quietly – not the question Aleks was expecting.

“I’m fine.” He responded, more concerned about his boyfriend than his own emotional state. “How are you doing?”

James stared down at his hands. “Did I…did I scare you, yesterday?” He whispered, ignoring Aleks’s question completely.

Aleks started, bewildered by James’s mood. “Of course not.” He said adamantly, horrified that he could even think that. “You could never—”

“—But my rage got the better of me.” James interrupted, his eyes pained as he glanced up, meeting Aleks’s troubled gaze.

Everything fell into place: James’s distance, his anxiety, his dishevelled state – Aleks realised he’d been thinking about his near-panic attack, after the Hunters had been killed. James blamed _himself_ , when it had nothing to do with him at all.

“You didn’t scare me.” Aleks said fiercely. “Yes, I freaked out, but it wasn’t because of you.”

James shook his head in disbelief, but Aleks didn’t give him the chance to refute his words. “When I couldn’t reach for my knife, that’s when the panic set in. I thought I had it under control…and then suddenly I was pinned to the ground.” It agonised Aleks to talk about what happened, but he needed to relieve James’s torment. “I’m just glad you came for me when you did.”

James closed his eyes in anguish. “When I think about what those fuckers could have done…” He trailed off, his voice unsteady, and Aleks could only think of one more way to calm him down.

“It’s okay, I’m here.” He murmured, stepping forward until he was pressed up against him. They both needed the physical reassurance, and Aleks slid his arms around his waist, resting his head on his shoulder. James’s body was frozen, but Aleks waited patiently, running his hands soothingly up and down his sides, willing him to respond.

It didn’t take long; James’s dam broke, and he clutched Aleks to him, burying his face in his hair.

“I’ve got you baby.” Aleks whispered, echoing James’s words that had saved him the day before. Those four words had shattered his distraught reverie and brought him back to life, back to James, and he wanted to save him in return.

He felt James kiss the top of his head, and knew that he was coming back to him.

~O~

Yesterday’s events weren’t mentioned again during the rest of the day. Most people were busy with duties, and Aleks occupied himself with work too, helping to unload the supplies that he’d picked up.

Everything was fine until he walked into the basement for dinner, later that evening. He grabbed his tray and headed towards his usual table, where James was sitting with some of their friends: Jordan, Dan, Stefani and Joe.

Conversation halted the moment Aleks joined the table. He knew exactly what they’d been talking about. “Way to be obvious.” He said dryly, sliding into the empty seat beside Stefani. “Don’t mind me, please continue.”

His friends exchanged wary glances, and Aleks raised his eyebrow, challenging one of them to refuse him. He was a little pissed off that they were talking about what had happened to the Hunters behind his back, as if he was too fragile to handle the discussion.

“I already told them that I didn’t want to talk about it.” James said tightly, pushing his tray away, his food untouched. Evidently he was still struggling to move on from the incident.

Aleks refused to let him suffer any longer. It was time to clear the air, to come clean to the rest of the camp. Maybe then James could overcome his unnecessary demons. “You want to know what happened with the Hunters? Fine.” He shoved his tray away too, his appetite gone. “If it wasn’t for James and Dexter, Seamus would be dead, and I’d be the Hunter’s sex toy.”

James flinched at his bluntness, and he dropped his head in his hands. Jordan glanced at him, concerned, and their other friends eyed Aleks warily.

“Please tell me you’re joking.” Stefani whispered, horrified.

“No.” Aleks said flatly. “I told you what they were like. Fortunately, most of them are dead, and now we can all live happily-ever-after.”

That was the end of the matter. He had nothing else to say, and he waited for the tension at the table to clear.

It didn’t.

James still had his head in his hands, and now it wasn’t just Jordan who looked worried. Stefani, Dan and Joe all looked concerned, and their gaze darted between Aleks and James. No one said a word.

“Please stop looking at us like we’re victims.” Aleks said, unable to keep the anger from his voice. This wasn’t what he wanted. “Can we please move on?”

Silence. No one moved, no one dared to speak.

Aleks realised that he was the problem; the reason for his friend’s discomfort. So he did the only logical thing: he got up from the table, storming away without another word. He needed to cool down, and James needed space to figure things out. There was nothing else Aleks could do for him.

He found himself in Aron’s technical hub, his usual go-to place when he wanted to hide away for a little while.

Aron greeted him cheerfully, but lapsed back into silence as he resumed his work. Aleks didn’t mind the quiet, content just to watch him fiddle around with technical components as he took a seat beside him. 

Until his eyes landed on something that he hadn’t seen in years: a tattoo kit. “No fucking way.” He whispered in awe, pulling the small machine towards him. “Aron, does this work?”

Aron looked affronted by his question. “Of course it does. I fixed it.”

“And the needles are all sterilised?” Aleks asked, already hooking the kit up to the generator.

“Yes. Jordan had an idea about a camp tattoo, but I’m sure he won’t mind you trying the kit out first.”

When Aleks was younger, he’d had so many ideas for tattoos. He’d wanted to paint most of his skin intricately, but he’d only had the chance to get a few designs inked before society collapsed.

The kit only had black ink, but that didn’t matter. He only had one tattoo in mind: a type of tattoo that he’d sworn he’d never get. He’d always thought it was tacky when someone got a name inked on them, but now he wanted it desperately.

Tattoos were a dedication, a commitment – and Aleks wanted to symbolise his relationship with James through one. He wanted the man he was in love with to be inked permanently onto his skin. Tattoos lasted forever, just like their love would; both were cosmic, both were infinite.

He rolled up his shirt sleeve, just enough to reveal the flesh of his left wrist, and he pressed the needle into his skin. There was no pain; he was used to the sensation. His hands were steady as he inked two shapes just below his palm, where his knife scar resided: another reminder of James.

ДЖ

“That looks cool.” Aron commented when Aleks switched the machine off. “What does it mean?”

“It’s James’s initial in Russian.” Aleks told him, examining his new ink. He was happy with it, and he wiped away the excess blood with the cloth that Aron passed to him. He didn’t see the need to bandage the tattoo so he pulled his sleeve back down, protecting it with the cotton of his shirt.

“You make a good couple.”

Aron’s remark took Aleks by surprise, too used to his friend’s witty jibes. “Thanks.” He replied, slightly confused, but grateful all the same.

“Dexter told me about yesterday.” Aron said, turning back to his work. “I can’t believe what James did.”

Now Aleks was even more bewildered. “What are you talking about?” He asked him guardedly, unsure where this conversation was leading.

“James’s reaction when he heard you scream from the alleyway. Dex said that he didn’t even wait for him, he just stormed straight into the fire and shot all the Hunters dead.”

This was news to Aleks, and he blinked, absorbing Aron’s words. He’d known that James had saved him, but he hadn’t realised that he’d killed all of the Hunters. The torrent of gunfire he’d heard as he was pinned to the ground had just been _James_.  

“That guy is crazy about you.” Aron didn’t seem to realise that he’d rendered Aleks speechless, and he continued untangling electrical wires. “He’d have to be to make a sacrifice like that. Surprised he wasn’t killed.”

No wonder James had believed he’d been the one to trigger Aleks’s panic attack, after his violent rampage. His distress suddenly made so much sense – James wasn’t just troubled by nearly losing Aleks, he’d also compromised his values by murdering five people. The Hunters had deserved their deaths, but Aleks knew that wouldn’t matter to James. He’d killed five of his own kind – taking a human life was very different to slaughtering the infected.

And he’d left James to suffer alone.

“I have to go.” Aleks blurted out, vacating the room before Aron had the chance to say goodbye. He needed to find James _now_.

A quick scan of the basement told Aleks that James was no longer there, so he raced to their bedroom next, taking the stairs two at a time in his haste to get to his boyfriend. He burst into their room, and James stopped pacing at the sound of the door slamming closed.

“Where the fuck have you been?” He demanded, whirling around to face him.

Aleks didn’t hesitate. He charged directly over to him, yanking him into his arms. He felt James still, and he tightened his grasp, crushing their bodies together. “I’m sorry.” He said hoarsely, fighting the urge to cry. “I thought you needed space, but I was wrong. Forgive me.” He’d fucked up big time.

“Of course I don’t want space.” He heard James whisper, and he felt him try to pull away. Aleks wouldn’t allow that, and he clung tighter.

James seemed to realise that breaking away was impossible, and he finally placed his arms around Aleks. “I just want you to be okay.” He added quietly.

“I want _you_ to be okay.” Aleks echoed, knowing that they were both equally haunted by what happened. He leaned back a little to meet his gaze, but kept his arms around him. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore, okay?”

James glanced away uncertainly, so Aleks reached up to grasp his face in his hands, forcing him to look at him. “It’s over.” He stated firmly. “You and I are fine.” He rested his forehead against his, desperate to get through to him. “We’re going to move on from this, together.”

“Together.” James repeated softly. It was an agreement, but he still looked forlorn, lost.

Aleks wanted to tell him that he was in love with him. He wanted to confess that he couldn’t imagine living without him. But now wasn’t the time. The admission would only be tarnished by the fragile state they were both in. Instead, he chose to rectify the situation in the best way he knew how, and he kissed him tenderly.

James was a statue, completely motionless. Knowing his doubt remained, Aleks kissed him again, pressing his lips more urgently to his. His hands left his face to cradle the back of his head, drawing him deeper into the kiss.

Gradually, James’s hesitancy left him, forced away by Aleks’s desire. He began to kiss him back, matching Aleks’s fervour as their kisses grew more passionate.

Aleks knew exactly what he wanted, what he needed, and he tugged at the hem of James’s shirt.

To his dismay, James broke away, leaning back to gaze at him. “Are you sure?” He murmured, knowing where this was inevitably leading.

“I need you.” Aleks breathed, the closest words to _I love you_.

There was no more uncertainty after that. Knowing that Aleks wanted this, wanted him, James led his lover into bed.


	17. XVII: For Blue Skies

Aleks’s eyes drifted closed as James gently ran his hands across his skin, mapping every curve of his body. He was in a state of bliss; James had returned to him and they’d made love, sating their need for each other. Sex had cured them both of the horror that had plagued their minds for the last twenty-four hours.

The black cloud that had engulfed them was gone. Now the atmosphere was light, warm from their afterglow, creating a sense of normalcy.

“So much for the sex ban.” James remarked, and Aleks opened his eyes to see him propped up on his elbow beside him.

A winter chill was beginning to settle in the room, and Aleks pulled their blanket over them, protecting their naked skin from the cold. “I’m sure I’ll use it in the future.” He replied lightly, inching into James’s warmth.

“Yeah, because it worked out so well for you last time.”

Aleks felt his lips quirk at James’s sarcasm. _No regrets_. “Shut up.” He said fondly.

Smiling, James lifted his hand to trace the contour of Aleks’s lips with his fingertip. “Admit it, I’m irresistible.”

Aleks tried to playfully bite James’s finger, but he pulled his hand away. “Never.”

His one word response was taken as a challenge. James suddenly grabbed his wrists, forcing Aleks’s arms above him to pin him to the bed. Aleks was relieved when he didn’t flinch as James rolled on top of him; the move so similar to what he’d been forced to endure the day before.

_This_ was nothing like yesterday. The heat from James’s gaze ignited every nerve ending in Aleks’s body, and he felt nothing but pure love and desire. There was no room for anything else; James was his, body and soul.

Aleks bit his lip and rocked his hips, smirking at James’s small sound of surprise. “We just cleaned up.” His boyfriend reminded him, but there was no real fight in his words. Aleks could feel him growing hard already.

“I like you dirty.”

Aleks’s double-entendre didn’t go unnoticed by James. “I bet you do.” He said heatedly, releasing his wrists to lace their fingers together. He kept their clasped hands above Aleks’s head as he leaned in, brushing their lips together. The kiss was gentle, but the passion between them was palpable.

Aleks felt James release one of his hands, but he didn’t get the chance to touch him. Before he could move his arm, James snatched his wrist again.

“What is that? Is that a tattoo?”

In his haze, Aleks had completely forgotten about his new ink. “Yeah, it is. Aron fixed up a tattoo kit so I thought I’d give it a go.” He replied quickly. They could talk about the meaning later; all he wanted to do was continue what they’d just started.

“That’s Russian, isn’t it?” James correctly surmised, and Aleks realised that it was futile. Once James focused on something, he wouldn’t let it go. “What does it say?”

_Moment of truth._ “It’s a J.” Aleks told him, bracing himself for James’s reaction as he hastily continued with his next words. “Well, the closest representation anyway. There’s no J in the Russian alphabet.”

James blinked. “Is that J for…” He trailed off, speechless, and Aleks nodded, watching him closely.

“You, idiot.” He whispered, hoping the warmth in his tone was enough to convey his love. He wasn’t ready to say those three little words yet, even though he felt them so strongly.

His reply didn’t have the desired effect. Instead of showering him with affection, James left the bed, and he began to pull on his discarded clothing.

Aleks felt a pang of hurt as he sat up, wrapping a blanket around himself. _Was it too soon?_ “Where are you going?” He asked, trying to conceal his panic as he watched James getting dressed.

It didn’t quite work – James saw right through him. “You’re a fucking idiot.” He said lovingly, leaning down to kiss the top of his head. “I have an appointment, so hurry up and get dressed.”

Relieved, Aleks caught the clothes that were tossed in his direction. He was confused by James’s sudden desire to leave the comfort of their bed, but he soon realised his intention once they were clothed and walking to their destination.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Aleks asked quietly when they reached the first floor of the hotel. He was certain of his love and commitment – but he didn’t know if James felt as strongly for him.   

“Absolutely.” James replied firmly, leading the way to Aron’s room. “I want you inked on my skin too.”

Apparently he did.

Aleks didn’t need an “I love you” in that moment. James choosing to get a matching tattoo was enough.

James had barely knocked on Aron’s door when Aleks attacked him, fusing their lips together. The move took James by surprise but he responded eagerly, wrapping his arms tightly around his waist.

So caught up in each other, they didn’t hear the door open – until Aron spoke up. “Okay, I like you guys, but that’s just gross.”

James broke the kiss, and he kept one arm around Aleks as he turned to face Aron. “Hey man.” He said airily, as if he hadn’t just been caught making out with his boyfriend. “Mind if we come in?”

“Not really, as long as you guys can control yourselves.” Aron replied, stepping to the side to let them in.

“We can’t promise anything.” James said gravely, and his lips curved up into a grin, unable to stay serious.

Aleks couldn’t resist joining in. “That table does look rather sturdy.” He remarked thoughtfully, studying the desk that Aron worked at. His mind instantly conjured up images of him and James having sex on it, and he bit his lip.

James noticed his arousal, knowing his body well enough to sense the signs, and he leaned in. “Behave yourself.” He murmured, lowering his arm to slap his backside lightly.

Aleks smiled happily, knowing that he looked like an infatuated fool in front of Aron, but he honestly couldn’t care less. “Aron, could we borrow the tattoo kit please?”

“Sure, whatever.” Aron waved his arm, distracted by his work, and Aleks approached the desk to turn the small machine on. He gestured for James to take a seat, and he sat down opposite him.

Once he was sure that the kit was prepared properly, he offered James the needle.

To his surprise, his boyfriend shook his head. “I want you to do it.” He told him, and he rolled up his shirt sleeve to expose the skin of his forearm. “Write your name in Russian, right here.” He ran his fingertip along the strip of skin that he wanted inked, and Aleks hesitated.

“Are you sure?” He asked guardedly. He was honoured that James trusted him to do it, but he couldn’t help but feel a little bit of pressure.

“I want you.” James said simply, and there was no room for argument in his sincere tone.

How could Aleks dispute that? He leaned down to press his lips against the patch of bare skin, touched by James’s conviction.

Confident now, he fired up the machine, and he began to tattoo his home language onto his lover’s skin.

Александр

He kept the letters small, feeling a semblance of pride when he finished inking his name. He leaned back to grab a cloth from the desk, and he tenderly dabbed the stray droplets of blood away. Then, he turned to face James, wanting to see his reaction.

James looked down for the first time, having kept his gaze averted whilst Aleks had been working on him. His eyes widened, and his face lit up with a dazzling smile when he saw the careful, neat lettering. “Aleks, this is amazing.” He whispered.

Aleks shrugged modestly, feeling his cheeks warm under the heat of James’s awed gaze. He felt elated, he felt loved. Twenty four hours ago, he thought he was going to die. But now, here he was, standing strong beside the man he loved. There was no greater feeling.

So enraptured by James, he started when Aron approached them, examining the tattoo for himself. “Are you two engaged now, or something?” He asked dryly, unimpressed with the originality of their matching tattoos.

Aron’s light-hearted question completely floored Aleks, and he quickly turned his attention to bandaging James’s tattoo, wanting to keep his scarred skin protected. He couldn’t bring himself to meet James’s gaze, even though he could feel his eyes burning through him. He had no idea how to form a reply to that.

It appeared James didn’t know how to respond either, and he chose to ignore Aron too. Aleks felt James’s fingertips touch his chin, and he gently tilted his head, forcing him to look at him. He gave him a comforting smile, and Aleks relaxed, smiling shyly in return.

“Go and take that sexual tension somewhere else so I can get back to work.” Aron remarked, rolling his eyes.

Aleks gave him an apologetic smile and then looked back at James expectantly. He quirked one eyebrow, hoping it was enough of a signal. He was desperate to return to their room and begin round two.

James smirked, answering his silent request. “See you later Aron.” He called, yanking Aleks to his feet to lead him away, knowing exactly what they both wanted.  

~O~

The next couple of weeks were uneventful. Camp life continued as normal; James and Aleks resumed their duties, but they didn’t volunteer to go on any supply runs. Whilst they’d moved on from what happened with the Hunters, neither one was ready to leave the safety of camp just yet.

Until a startling announcement came through on the radio waves – the government was planning an air drop of supplies to Colorado, and the coordinates were only fifty miles away.

The drop was due the following day, and Jordan immediately began to plan for it.

Aleks and James learned from Seamus later that evening that neither of them had been chosen to go, which angered them both. They immediately sought out Jordan, who was in the pantry, packing food for the trip.

“We’re not going?!” James bellowed once they’d found him, not bothering to start the conversation civilly. “What the fuck Jordan?”

Jordan didn’t rise to James’s temper, well-used to his fury by now. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.” He said evenly, continuing to pack. “We’re not going to be the only ones going for those supplies.”

“So?” James exclaimed, frowning in confusion. “That means you’ll need us. You know Aleks and I are the best marksmen out of everyone.” He wasn’t bragging – they were, and they made a formidable team in battle.  

Jordan shrugged, not denying his words, and it suddenly dawned on Aleks why they hadn’t been included on the roster. “You think the remaining Hunters are going after those supplies too, don’t you?” He realised, now understanding why Jordan had made the decision to leave them at camp. He was trying to protect them.

Jordan nodded cautiously, and James stilled, his expression carefully neutral – but Aleks could see right through his façade. He too was wary of the possibility of encountering them again – but his determination was stronger.

“I appreciate your concern Jordan, but I’m not staying here.” He said firmly. “Out of everyone, I’m the one who wants the Hunters dead the most. I’m going with you.”

“Me too.” James added, speaking up before Jordan could respond, and Aleks glanced at him in surprise. James’s face was now lined with resolve, unwavering. “You’re not leaving me behind either.”

Jordan’s gaze flickered between the two, calculating as the couple stared him down. “Fine, you can come. We’re taking two trucks, so there’s enough room.” He said, conceding defeat. James and Aleks were a force to be reckoned with when they wanted to be.  

“I’ll drive one truck.” Aleks said quickly, whilst he was on a winning streak. He’d never had the opportunity to drive before, and he swiftly seized his chance.

“Hell no.” James argued, but it wasn’t his decision.

Jordan shook his head in agreement. “Sure. I’ll be driving the other one, so you can follow me.”

Aleks smirked triumphantly at his partner, enjoying the horrified expression on James’s face as his usual driving role was stripped away from him. “You know Aleks hasn’t driven in years, right? He’ll kill us before we even get to the drop.” He said hastily, attempting to dissuade Jordan.

It didn’t work. “Aleks will be fine.” Their leader replied, grinning.

~O~

Unfortunately, Jordan’s confidence in Aleks had been misguided.

Aleks had thought driving would come naturally to him; he used to spend hours driving around Colorado, back when he was in college. He used to enjoy being on the open road, meandering around the state, and he’d considered himself a good driver.

But not anymore. He was rusty, to say the least. He’d stalled twice on the way to the drop, and he’d nearly crashed into a few stationary vehicles on the road.

His unfortunate passengers – James, Seamus and Dexter – spent the entire journey criticising his driving, but Aleks took it all in good humour.

The mood turned sombre when they neared their destination, and Aleks followed Jordan onto a large open field, where the supplies had been dropped. The large expanse of space meant that they could see for miles, and there was no one in sight.

That was a good thing – for that meant the supplies were untouched.

Dozens of unopened crates were scattered across the land, and Jordan pulled up at the first pile of loot. Aleks parked beside him, and everyone left the trucks, all approaching the boxes cautiously.

Jordan did the honours, and he broke one of the crates open with a crowbar that Seamus offered him. Inside was freshly packed food – from meat, to vegetables, to fruit.

James punched the air, hollering “Fuck yeah!”, which triggered an instant celebration.

The Creatures began to high-five, clapping each other on the back. Aleks went to join in, but he was suddenly lifted into the air. He made a sound of surprise, and glanced down to see James beaming up at him. He quickly gripped his shoulders for balance, wrapping his legs around his waist.

They didn’t need to say anything; both were absolutely elated by the discovery. It cemented their chance of a future together, knowing that the government was working towards a solution, doing its best to keep the survivors alive in the process.

Aleks swiftly leaned down, and his nose bumped awkwardly against James’s in his haste to kiss him, seeking his affection as they basked in reciprocal joy. He tried to fit all of his emotions into one kiss, failing of course, but his yearning was tangible. It was warmly received by James, who kissed him back with equal ardour.

Their moment didn’t last for long. Aleks was yanked abruptly out of James’s arms, and he found himself sandwiched between Dexter and Seamus as they embraced him. He laughed, returning the clinch as he watched Jordan tackle James into a hug.

They were all still vulnerable, exposed in the open air, so the celebration soon drew to a close. They turned their attention to the rest of the crates, and their bright smiles remained as they loaded up the trucks with as many supplies as they could.

No one else arrived, and there was no sign of the Hunters. Aleks felt himself relax, and he kept meeting James’s eyes as they worked, both unable to look away from each other.

James was looking at him like he was his entire world – and Aleks couldn’t breathe. All he could do was gaze back at him, his smile tinged with devotion, completely and utterly in love.


	18. XVIII: Signal Fire

Soon, winter drew to a close, and signs of spring started to appear. The weather grew milder, and the days grew longer.

However, duties were more demanding than ever as the camp prepared itself for a new season, and everyone was pulling their weight, including Aleks and James, who worked tirelessly every single day. Aleks missed his partner; they’d barely spent any time together recently. Only sparse minutes every now and again between jobs, both collapsing from exhaustion as soon as the sun set.

Today, Aleks hadn’t seen his boyfriend at all. He’d been stuck outside all day, fixing the fissures in the camp wall with clay. Parts of it had ruptured because of the relentless weather, so he was attempting to strengthen it.

So absorbed in his work, he didn’t notice someone staring at him – until he turned around to pick up some more clay. He jumped in surprise when he saw James behind him, leaning against one of the wall pillars. “Hey you.” Aleks said, once he’d recovered from his initial shock.  

“Hey.” James straightened up, and he began to saunter over to him. “Sorry, I would have announced myself earlier but I was enjoying the view.”

It felt good to be flirted with again. It had been a long time since they’d had the energy to do anything vaguely romantic. “I bet you were.” Aleks responded, biting his lip as James stopped in front of him, inches away. He waited for the inevitable greeting kiss, but didn’t receive it.

“Do you have any duties after dinner?” James asked, making no move towards him.

Aleks frowned, disappointed. “No, I’m free tonight.”

“What a coincidence.” James stated, and he grinned wickedly, his dark eyes gleaming with vigour. “Me too.”

Aleks hoped desperately that was true, but he couldn’t trust James’s expression. “Please don’t be fucking with me.” He said, furrowing his brow. If it was a joke, he was going to give James hell.

“I’m being serious.” James’s smirk faded, and he gave him a genuine smile, which convinced Aleks completely.

“So we’re finally going to have some time together?” His face broke out into a smile, his mood lightening considerably, and James nodded cheerily. “Thank fuck for that. I was getting a little concerned.” Aleks added, unable to resist the opportunity to tease him. “The first sign of a relationship in trouble is not spending much time together.”

James rolled his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’ve been reading that shitty five-year-old Cosmo magazine, haven’t you?”

“Maybe.” Aleks said coyly.

James responded by scooping up a piece of clay and smearing it across Aleks’s nose, leaving a grey smudge on his skin. “Idiot.” He said fondly.

Big mistake. Aleks’s hands were already covered in clay and he charged, grabbing James’s face to leave two grey handprints on his cheeks. He leaned back to admire his work, noticing that some clay had gotten on his beard. James still looked incredibly hot, so Aleks quickly cupped his face again to kiss him fiercely.

James reacted just as he wanted, and he backed them up until Aleks was pressed up against the newly refurbished wall. The clay clung to his clothing but Aleks couldn’t care less, too overwhelmed by James’s touch to worry about the state of his outfit.

_I love you._ Those three words were on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t say them aloud. His lips were occupied by James’s, and when they weren’t, he was panting for breath as James trailed a path of kisses across his jaw, gently nipping at his skin.

Aleks chose to convey his love through touch instead.

He dragged his fingers through James’s locks, tugging on his curls. _I love you_.

He pressed his body against his, hooking a leg around his waist. _I love you_.

He pulled back to breathe, his lips stained red from James’s rough, biting kisses, and he gazed deeply into his eyes. _I love you_.

He wondered if James was trying to say something too, through the way he touched him in return. His fingers tracing delicate patterns on his skin, underneath his t-shirt, his hands exploring the contours of his chest. Resting their foreheads together as they gasped for breath, smiling into a kiss as a chorus of uninhibited moans escaped Aleks’s lips.

“James, aren’t you on patrol?”              

At the sound of Jordan’s voice, James immediately released Aleks from his grasp, stepping away to smile beseechingly at their leader. “No.” It was an obvious lie.

“Back to work.” Jordan commanded, but he was grinning at them, no doubt amused by their _very_ public display of affection. Aleks had completely forgotten that they were in the centre of the courtyard, surrounded by other campmates.

“You’re the boss.” James waved him off, and then he turned back to Aleks to kiss him briefly. “I’ll see you at dinner.”

“See you.” Aleks murmured, watching him leave.

Clearing his throat, he pointedly ignored the looks from the people around him as he returned to his work, discretely adjusting his pants as he did so.

~O~

Fortunately, the two were reunited only a couple of hours later, when the camp gathered for dinner in the basement. They were both teased relentlessly by their friends for their appearance whilst they ate, as streaks of clay still lingered on their skin.

Aleks took it all in his stride, in too good of a mood to be offended by the playful jibes. All he could think about was the evening ahead, when he could finally be alone with James. He missed talking to him, he missed laughing with him - and more importantly - he missed having sex with him.

He was already struggling to keep his hands off of him. The moment James had finished eating, Aleks began to clean his face, tenderly wiping away the smudges of clay with the cloth that Jordan had tossed their way. James rolled his eyes, but allowed Aleks to fuss over him.

“You two are such an old married couple.” Jordan remarked, and Aleks stilled at the mention of the ‘m’ word, his hand lingering on James’s cheek. _First Aron with the engagement comment…and now this._

“Jealous?” James shot back, unfazed by his best friend’s comment. Aleks felt himself relax, and he resumed his cleansing, dragging the cloth down James’s neck to wipe away the handprints he’d left there earlier.

“Who’s the wife?” Dexter asked flippantly, before Jordan had the chance to make a retort of his own.

“Aleks.” There was no hesitation from James, and he daringly met Alek’s gaze, grinning when he saw his venomous glare.

“Fuck you.” Aleks muttered, and he dropped the cloth to shift away from him, no longer willing to continue his loving gesture.

He didn’t get very far. James quickly snaked his arm around his shoulders, drawing him back into his embrace. Aleks went willingly but he continued to scowl…until James kissed his temple, softening his expression.

“James is definitely the wife.” Dan piped up, and Aleks laughed when James immediately flipped him off. He looked set to respond verbally, but something caught his attention, and his playful glare became a look of concern.

Aleks followed his gaze, and saw Seamus approaching their table. He felt himself mirror James’s frown when he saw the state his friend was in. Seamus looked awful; he was as white as a sheet, and the dark shadows under his eyes were patent in the sunken palette of his skin.  

“You look like shit.” James said bluntly as Seamus sank down into the remaining chair at their table.

“I know.” Seamus said dryly, reaching for a glass of water. “When one feels like shit, they tend to look like it too.”

“There’s no way I’m letting you go on night-watch tonight, not when you’re this ill.” Jordan said, his eyebrows knitting together in concern. “You need to rest.”

“And who’s going to replace me? Everyone is busy with other duties.” Seamus reminded him, taking a small sip of his drink.

Aleks knew exactly what was going to happen next, and knew that he could do nothing to stop it.

“I’ll cover your shift tonight.”

At James’s words, Seamus visibly brightened – but Aleks’s mood darkened. _Curse his thoughtful, caring boyfriend._

“Thanks James, I owe you one.” Seamus sighed, reaching across the table to clap him on the shoulder.

_Yes you do_. Aleks knew that James had done the right thing, but he couldn’t help but fume silently as their plans together collapsed. _Great, another night alone_.

“It’s no problem.” James said airily, and after giving his friend a reassuring smile, he turned his attention back to Aleks. His smile quickly dimmed when he caught sight of the unhappy glare directed his way. “What have I done to deserve that look?” He asked, bewildered.

“You know what you’ve done. So much for our night alone together.” Aleks hissed, lowering his voice so that he didn’t attract the attention of their friends.

It didn’t quite work.

“You need to get laid man.” He heard Dexter comment, imitating James’s common expression whenever he noticed someone in a bad mood.

“I was trying to.” Aleks said gloomily, and James blinked, momentarily taken aback.

“Gross. I definitely joined the conversation at the wrong time.” He heard Aron remark, and Aleks glanced up to see him standing by their table. “Seamus, you’re needed on patrol.”

“It’s me tonight.” James corrected him, but he didn’t make a move to leave right away. He leaned towards Aleks, his lips brushing the shell of his ear. “I’ll make it up to you.” He whispered.

Aleks believed him. “You better.” He murmured, his frustration wavering when James kissed his mouth gently, a silent promise. Then he rose to his feet, winking at Aleks over his shoulder as he followed Aron out of the door.

~O~

If Aleks had known what would happen that night, he never would have allowed James to go on night patrol.

He never would have let him leave without a proper goodbye.

He wouldn’t have been mad at him for something so trivial. He would have traded his glares for loving smiles and tender kisses.

He would have finally said _I love you_.

But Aleks hadn’t done any of those things, and he went to bed alone.

In seven hours, thirty six minutes and fifty two seconds…everything changed.


	19. XIX: The Lightning Strike

Aleks didn’t know what roused him from slumber that night. It could have been the screaming. It could have been the warning bell. It could have been the hurried footsteps, the banging on his bedroom door.

All he knew, was that he was engulfed in chaotic sound as he shot out of bed, his eyes darting around the vacant room, seeking out the danger. He heard Seamus in the corridor, bellowing instructions, ordering people to take refuge in the camp basement. From what though, he didn’t say.

But Aleks knew what was happening. He just couldn’t believe it. He didn’t _want_ to believe it.

He had no choice though.

His worst nightmare was coming true.

The camp was under attack.

Aleks’s attention was solely focused on the noise outside as he yanked his boots on, fortunately already clothed. He felt like he was dreaming, _wished_ he was dreaming.

All around him was gunfire. Snarls of the infected. He stumbled towards the window, needing to see the commotion. He was muted to everything else.

He never made it.

There was a flash of bright light, a deafening sound – and Aleks was thrown to the ground as the tremor of an explosion resonated through camp.

The screaming got louder, the roars of the infected got shriller.

Unharmed, Aleks crawled to the window – or what was left of it. He kept low to the ground, clutching at the ledge to heave himself up, allowing him to peer out into the darkness.

He knew what he was going to see, but nothing prepared him for the utter devastation that awaited him.

Not even the cover of darkness and the shroud of smoke could conceal the horrific sight.

A large chunk of the camp wall was gone. Dozens of infected had flooded the courtyard, outnumbering the dark silhouettes of survivors as they fought desperately against the attack. It was impossible to tell who was out there, or who was winning in the thick, murky smog.

It got worse.

Aleks’s gaze fell on a pile of rubble, recoiling in horror when he realised what structure had been obliterated.

The night watch tower – where James had been stationed.

_Oh God._

_James._

Aleks screamed his partner’s name into the shaded night, but didn’t hear his own voice. The call was lost in the disarray of frenzied sound, completely consumed by what was happening around him.

He didn’t try again. He knew where he needed to be.

Arming himself with his knives, his trusted weaponry, he charged out of the room, only one destination in mind. His pace was steady, his footsteps in time with the rhythm of his heartbeat as it thrummed in his ears.

_James. James. James._

Aleks needed to be strong, for him. He wouldn’t fall apart. He’d find him, and they’d march into battle together, side-by-side.

Once he was downstairs, he didn’t take much notice of his upset campmates as they were ushered into the basement by Seamus, and he walked straight past them to the reception desk, needing one more weapon before he faced the onslaught outside.

“Aleks, thank God. We need you.”

Aleks heard Seamus’s words, but he didn’t respond as he reached underneath the desk, pulling out the emergency rifle that he’d stored there weeks earlier.

“Stay here and protect the children.”

Aleks glanced up to meet Seamus’s gaze, and he shook his head. “No.” He stated firmly, sheathing his main combat knife to grip his rifle with two steady hands. “You’re going to do that. I’m needed outside.”

Seamus frowned, but Aleks didn’t give him the chance to argue with him. “You’re sick, which means you’re weak.” He said harshly, unwilling to let him join him. He couldn’t be worried about his friend’s safety when James’s life was at stake. “James is outside -” _because of you_ “- and I need to find him.”

There was nothing else to say. Aleks had already wasted enough time. “Let me through.” He demanded, directing his words at Joe and Spencer, who were barricading the hotel entrance.

They didn’t dispute his request, and they pulled a piece of furniture aside, allowing Aleks to slip outside. The door was bolted shut behind him, but he didn’t care. He was where he needed to be.

He barely got the chance to assess his surroundings before a crowd of infected charged at him. Aleks readied his rifle and fired six shots, piercing each one in the forehead, killing them instantly.

Nothing was going to get in his way of finding James.

~O~

In the midst of the battle, Aleks realised very quickly that James was not amongst the army of campmates fighting off the infected. It didn’t stop him though, from throwing himself into the heart of the war. He needed to eliminate as many zombies as he could, needing to diminish the chance of danger to James.

Deep down, in his heart to the pit of his stomach, where his repressed fear and anguish resided, he knew where James was.

He hacked a pathway through the dwindling number of zombies until he was standing next to the rubble of the watch tower. Dan was nearby, tackling two zombies with an axe, and Aleks swiftly raised his gun, firing a couple of shots into their heads.

Dan nodded at him briefly once the zombies had dropped dead, a quick gesture of gratitude, but Aleks needed him to return the favour.

“Cover me.” He commanded, offering Dan his rifle.

He took it, but he frowned in confusion. “What are you—”

“—Finding James.” Aleks stated, interrupting him. He’d expected the question, and he refused to say anymore. Those two words were enough. He dropped to his knees and began to search hurriedly through the wreckage, looking for James underneath the debris.

Dan watched him, his expression lined with horror, but Aleks ignored the pity in his eyes. James wasn’t dead. Unconscious maybe, but Aleks would find him.

But he only found ash and charred material after rummaging through the entire pile of rubble. No James. No one, for that matter. Not even a zombie.

Aleks’s calm composure began to crack, and he reeled back, realising that he only had one more idea on where to look for James. An idea that he couldn’t bear to think about.

If James wasn’t one of the survivors fighting...if he wasn’t unconscious from the force of the explosion…

He had to be one of the corpses on the ground.

Aleks remained where he was, kneeling in the debris, numb to the chaos still happening around him. He no longer cared that the camp was under attack, no longer cared what happened to his friends. No longer cared what happened to him.

If James was dead…then there was no point.

His surroundings blurred as his eyes pricked with hot tears. He welcomed death, and he closed his eyes, hoping that it would be quick, and painless.

No killing blow came.

Aleks had forgotten that he was being protected.

Dan continued to shield him, killing the infected that advanced on them. Dexter had joined him, and the two were a fearsome team as they slaughtered the remaining zombies.

And then…it was all over.

The last infected human fell, and the camp was suddenly clear of danger.

The remaining survivors began to cheer, embracing each other, tears streaming down some of their faces. Dan threw himself into the celebration, and Dexter turned to face Aleks, wanting him to share in their delight.

Aleks stared at him in disbelief, horrified by the callous behaviour of his campmates. They were dancing on top of skeletons; some of the corpses the broken bodies of their former friends, and yet, they laughed.

Dexter’s smile quickly faded, and so did the celebration, once the gravity of the situation struck them. Some of the survivors fell to their knees, grief-stricken, whilst others began to examine the bodies, calling out names of the people that they’d lost.

Aleks rose to his feet, his entire body trembling. He could feel Dan and Dexter eyeing him cautiously, but he refused to meet their gaze as he wiped the sweat from his brow with a shaking hand. He didn’t want their sympathy, and he certainly didn’t need their pity. He was barely holding himself together, but he made a decision, the only thing keeping him alive.

He decided that he couldn’t let one of his campmates find James’s body. He didn’t want to hear James’s name uttered by another person; James was his, and his alone. Aleks needed to be the one to find him, to cradle him in his arms. He needed to see his face before he joined him in heaven, or in whatever abyss people went to when they died.

Aleks began to walk around the courtyard, looking for James’s body.

“James might be inside the hotel bud.” He heard Dan call after him, but Aleks ignored his attempt at solace. He knew that was impossible; James would always be on the frontline for a battle like this. He’d never hide away. It was one of the reasons why Aleks loved him.

He frantically combed the bodies of the fallen, eyes straining in the darkness. He recognised a couple of his comrades, but couldn’t mourn for them. His entire being, his entire soul, was utterly consumed by James.

And then he found him.

Underneath a pile of infected corpses, was a familiar mop of curly hair, face down in the ground.

_James._

Aleks’s composure finally shattered, and he broke down. He clutched at his chest, breathing shallowly as panic and grief crippled him. His knees buckled under the weight of his emotional state, and he fell to the ground.

He couldn’t move, his entire body wracking with sobs as his gaze drank in the sight of his battered lover.

He’d accepted that James was dead. He’d thought he was prepared to find his body, knowing that it wouldn’t be long until he’d see his lover again, having resolved to join him in death.

But nothing prepared him for _this_.

It hurt, God it hurt.

Wildfire agony spread across his chest, and Aleks couldn’t withhold his anguished cries. He was falling off a cliff, into a bottomless chasm of despair as he was confronted with his worst nightmare.

“Oh God.” He rasped, tears burning his eyes. The film of liquid obscured his vision, but he dragged himself forward, needing to hold James in his arms, one last time.

But as he neared the pile of corpses, Aleks began to notice finer details, his eyesight no longer hindered by the darkness due to his proximity to James.

He blinked, realising that James wasn’t wearing the clothes that he’d left for night patrol in.

That one detail ignited a small flare of hope, and Aleks quickly pulled the deceased zombies away, allowing him to roll James’s body over.

But it wasn’t James.

It was the body of a Hunter.


	20. XX: The Beginning of the End

Aleks recoiled instantly, yanking his hands away as if he’d been burned by the Hunter’s corrupted flesh. Fear rooted him to the ground, and he could only stare helplessly at the corpse in front of him, ice filtering through his veins, his blood running cold.

The Hunters had been here, and James was missing.

The connection was clear.

“James!” Aleks’s cry was broken as the name of his lover rang through the sombre air, and his desperation forced him to his feet. His search wasn’t over yet.

He stumbled towards the last pile of unidentified corpses, but there was no sign of James amongst the dead.

Behind him, he could hear Dexter and Dan’s distress as they discovered the body of another Hunter, but Aleks blocked them out.

Out of options, out of hope, he collapsed to his knees and turned his gaze to the starless sky. His soulmate was missing; his life possibly in the hands of the most malicious humans that walked the Earth, so Aleks did the only thing he could think of; something he’d never done before.

He pressed the palms of his hands together, and prayed.

He prayed for James’s life, prayed for his safe return. He prayed that the Hunters showed him mercy if they were the reason for his disappearance. He prayed for their future, for their reunion, whether it be in life or death.

He didn’t know how long he prayed for, but when the sky began to lighten, dawn on the horizon, Aleks rose to his feet a new man, resolved. He knew what he was going to do.

Most of the camp were gathered outside now, a crowd of mourning as Seamus addressed them. Aleks made his way over to them, seamlessly joining the horde as he took his place beside Dan in the front row. He’d joined the conversation at the right time; Seamus’s speech was about their fallen comrades.

“Our total count stands at one hundred and thirty-two people.”

There’d been less casualties than Aleks had thought, but he didn’t care. Regardless of whether five people had died or fifty, James would still be missing.

“We lost fifteen members of our family tonight.” Seamus’s voice was steady, but his hands were shaking as he held his rifle. “And two of our campmates are missing…James, and Jordan.”

A ripple of shock cascaded through the crowd; campmates turned to each other in surprise, and Aleks blinked. He’d expected to hear James’s name, expected the pang of pain that accompanied it, but he hadn’t realised that Jordan was missing too.

So preoccupied by his search for James, he’d never thought to look for their leader in the midst of the chaos.

“Where the hell are they?” Aleks heard Joe ask, his voice strained. He glanced over at him and saw him propped up by Spencer, his arms wrapped tightly around him.

“They’re alive, I know that.” Dan, ever the optimist.

“Two of our strongest campmates are missing, and no one knows what happened to them.” Aleks wasn’t angry, just matter-of-fact, a stone statue after his tortured, emotional state.

No one responded, unwilling to fuel Aleks’s temper, but everyone’s gaze was directed at the same sight: the two Hunters; their battered bodies still laying on the cold ground. Everyone felt the same semblance of dread, all reaching the same conclusion as Aleks had earlier: James and Jordan’s disappearance was tied to the Hunter’s presence in camp.

“Did anyone witness the Hunters enter camp?” Seamus demanded, naturally stepping into the role of leader whilst Jordan remained absent.

It was silent for a couple of seconds until Dexter raised his hand, and all attention turned to him. “I did. They used explosives to break the wall and lure the infected inside. I don’t know what happened to them after that.”

“Jordan and James must have gone after them.” Spencer suggested, and several campmates nodded. James and Jordan were well-known and well-liked by everyone, and going after the Hunters was a realistic choice they’d make, so Aleks wasn’t surprised by the amount of people who appeared to agree with Spencer’s prediction.

“Or the Hunters…”

But Stefani never finished her sentence: everybody already knew what she was going to say. Faces quickly grew ashen, and Aleks began to tremble. The thought of James getting abducted by those monsters shattered him, and he closed his eyes tightly, suppressing the hot tears that threatened to form.

“But why would they take them?” One campmate piped up, in clear disagreement of the latter option.

“Jordan’s our leader, and James is responsible for many of their deaths.” Seamus said flatly. “They’d be the ideal targets.”

Aleks opened his eyes, his composure intact again. It was time to initiate his plan. He’d gained enough information, and he’d wasted enough time by his prolonged stint in camp.

Dan still had his rifle, so Aleks pulled it out of his grasp, reloading it with a clip of fresh ammo.

“What are you doing bud?” Dan asked quietly, frowning.

“I’m going to Aurora.” Aleks responded calmly, ignoring the frantic and concerned looks that were thrown his way by his friends. He didn’t care what anyone thought; he was going to rescue James, or die trying. There was no other course of action to take.

This was it.

The beginning of the end.

“You’re crazy. We don’t even know if James and Jordan are there.” Dexter remarked, shaking his head in disbelief. “You’re embarking on a suicidal mission, and I can’t let you do this.”

Aleks didn’t have time to argue with his friends, or be glad of their concern for him. Nothing mattered to him anymore. Only James.

He’d shoot his way out if he was met with resistance. Nothing was going to get in his way, not even his dysfunctional family.

“Go and get him.” Aleks heard Aron whisper from behind him, the words so unexpected that Aleks turned in surprise.

Aron had his palm outstretched, offering him a key to one of the trucks, and Aleks quickly grabbed it.

“Thank you.” He murmured reverently, grateful for his friend’s blessing.

And then he was off, running towards the truck before anyone could stop him.

“Bring them home in one piece!” He heard Aron call over the shouts of the other campmates, and Aleks threw himself into the truck, starting the engine before he’d even shut the door.

In his periphery he could see Dexter and Seamus running towards him, and he slammed his foot on the gas. The truck lurched forward and Aleks sped towards the hole in the wall, tearing out of camp. The sound of protest quickly faded away, as did the figures of his disgruntled friends.

But Aleks didn’t make it very far.

Half a mile down the highway, he saw a familiar silhouette, limping along the side of the road.

_It couldn’t be…could it?_

Aleks stopped the truck, leaving the engine running as he clambered out.

“Jordan?”

His friend faltered at the sudden arrival of the truck, but Aleks was there to catch him. He swiftly pulled his arm over his shoulders, supporting him. “Where the fuck have you been?” He demanded, sweeping his gaze across the tarmac, seeking out James. If Jordan was here, James couldn’t be far away.

But the road was deserted. No Hunters, no James.

“We went after the Hunters.” Jordan told him tiredly, wincing as Aleks led him towards the truck. “There were so many of them Aleks. We didn’t think…we should never have left camp.”

_No you shouldn’t have._ Aleks kept his thoughts to himself though. Now was not the time to argue about Jordan’s bad decisions, and he helped him into the backseat, running his eyes over his form. He didn’t appear to have any serious injuries, and Aleks’s flare of hope rekindled. There was still a chance for James.

“I lost him.” Jordan whispered, his voice choked as he slumped against his seat. “I’m so sorry Aleks, but James is gone.”

The hope extinguished. Aleks stumbled backwards, a flood of fear striking him in the heart. He clutched at his chest, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps. “What?” He breathed, eyes widening in alarm.

“It was so dark, and I couldn’t see.” Jordan’s gaze was unfocused, lost in the events of the night. “I couldn’t find James. I looked everywhere, but he’s gone.”

Aleks shook his head violently, unable to believe Jordan’s words. He couldn’t listen to this. He needed to find James. He slammed the door of the truck and returned to the driver’s seat.

“I shouldn’t have left him out there.” Jordan was distraught, traumatised by the loss of his best friend, and Aleks couldn’t bring himself to look at him any longer. He adjusted his wing mirror, turning it away from Jordan. One of them had to remain strong.

“Where did you fight the Hunters?” Aleks asked him calmly, his hands clenched around the steering wheel.

“About a mile that way.”

Aleks slammed his foot on the gas, and the truck flew forwards.

“It’s no use Aleks.” Jordan said brokenly. “He’s d—”

“—Don’t fucking say it!” Aleks snapped bitterly, and he gritted his teeth to stop himself from losing his temper at his friend. Jordan could give up on James if he wanted to, but Aleks wouldn’t. He’d already fooled himself once into believing James was dead, and he refused to go through that agony again.

Jordan fell silent, lost in his grief, and Aleks turned his attention to the highway, looking for a sign.

He got what he wanted.

The corpses of four Hunters, strewn across the concrete.

This was it.

Bracing himself, Aleks parked the truck and exited cautiously, rifle raised as he scanned his surroundings.

All was silent.

He flinched at the sudden sound of the truck door opening, and he whirled around to glare at Jordan. “No fucking way. You’re staying here.” He commanded. He couldn’t worry about Jordan when he needed to focus entirely on James.

“He’s my best friend.” Jordan said defiantly, meeting his gaze boldly. “I can’t stay here and do nothing.”

“You think he’s dead.” Aleks spat, resorting to spite to get what he wanted: Jordan out of his way. “You’re no good to me in this state. Stay here, and don’t fucking move.”

His expression pained, Jordan nodded warily, and he closed the truck door, laying low in his seat.

Aleks examined the bodies of the Hunters, carefully stepping around the puddles of blood. The way they’d been killed told him exactly who’d murdered them; he recognised the knife slashes and the bullet wounds, and knew James had been here. The shotgun and knife were his weapons of choice.

There was no sign that the showdown had continued further along the highway, and Aleks turned his gaze to the trees that lined the road. It would have been impossible for Jordan to search the entire forest in the dark, and Aleks knew it would be the ideal place for James or the Hunters to seek cover whilst they planned their next attack.

James was in there somewhere. He had to be.

Aleks kept his footsteps light as he began to make his way through the trees, avoiding the rustling leaves and twigs to remain as soundless as possible. He slanted his eyes left to right, looking for any sign of a disturbance as he ventured through the forest.

When the trees began to disperse, Aleks spotted a shotgun, abandoned on the ground. As he drew closer, he recognised the model and the handmade silencer attached to it.

It was James’s.

It was a sign, but not a good one.  

There was no ammo left in the gun, and all of the shell casings surrounding it were empty. Aleks didn’t know how to feel about that, and he pressed on, refusing to dwell on the abandonment of James’s prestigious weapon.

The forest path soon widened, and Aleks could see a glimpse of a large clearing through the thinning trees. He had to supress the urge to sprint towards it, and he approached slowly, ducking behind the trunk of a tree to examine the field before he stepped into the open space.

What he saw on the other side of the clearing, was everything.

A slumped body, propped up against a tree.  

James.

Aleks lurched forwards, heart pounding in his ears, deafening him to the sounds around him. “James!” He screamed through the expanse of air, the worst thing he could have done.

All he could see was the pool of blood surrounding his lover, and he cried his name again as he ran towards him. He didn’t care that he was putting himself in a vulnerable position – all that existed was James. All he felt, breathed, wanted, and saw was James.

Nothing else mattered.

His lungs burned from the exertion of his speed, his feet ached from the force of his sprint, but he persevered.

Eight months ago, he’d been in the same desperate state as he ran towards refuge, towards a camp that he’d believed to be a myth.

Now he was fighting for his life again, as he raced towards his sole reason for living.

He was drawing nearer, close enough now to see the shallow rise and fall of James’s chest.

He was breathing.

He was alive.

“James!” He cried again, his voice fraught with despair.

Finally, his lover stirred, and he raised his head slowly.

Only metres separated them now.

Aleks felt his lips curve up into a relieved smile...at the same time James met his gaze, his dark eyes widening in horror.

_“_ Aleks _, no!”_

Aleks didn’t see the Hunter until it was too late.


	21. XXI: Breath of Life

_He didn’t see the Hunter until it was too late._

Aleks heard a ricochet of bullets crackle sharply through the air, and he threw himself to the ground.

A flare of agonising heat tore through his shoulder, but his pain didn’t matter when he heard James scream his name.  

Aleks erupted, desperate to protect the man he loved. He rolled onto his knees, firing his rifle rapidly in the direction of the Hunter before he could turn on James.

He didn’t miss his target.

The Hunter crumpled to the ground, three of Aleks’s bullets embedded in his chest.

Aleks rose to his feet, realising the vulnerable state he’d placed himself in as he swiftly scanned his surroundings. He was out in the open, completely exposed.

Running for cover wasn’t an option though. He was never going to leave James.

He remained standing in the middle of the clearing, blood saturating his shirt from his bullet wound. The bullet had scraped him but he was completely immune to his pain, too focused on the danger that he and James were surrounded by.

James was motionless too; both men were fixated by the sounds of the forest, listening out for the Hunters. Aleks’s heart hammered against his ribcage and under the skin of his wrist, pounding away at him as if trying to climb right out of his flesh.

Suddenly, he heard a twig snap behind him.

Aleks whirled around to confront the sound, coming face-to-face with another Hunter as he approached the field.

But the Hunter didn’t have a chance.

Aleks was high on adrenaline, high on his need to protect James, and he shot him dead.

The next sound he heard was the most important.

A strangled cough, a gasp for air.

_James._

Aleks turned, feeling his face whiten when he saw James slump over, coughing up blood as he retched.

The remaining Hunters – if there were any left – could wait. James couldn’t.

Aleks holstered his rifle and dashed forward, closing the distance between them.

James straightened up as he approached, his lips curving up into a weary smile. “Hi baby.” He whispered tiredly, and his greeting brought Aleks to his knees.

He fell to the ground, drinking in the sight of his lover, _alive_. “God damn it James.” He breathed, eyes squeezing shut against a sharp dampness. He reached forward to drape his arms around him, gripping him tight underneath the light of the sunrise. “You fucking asshole.” 

James attempted a laugh, but the sound was choked, his chest rattling from the exertion. Aleks leaned back, and he carefully brushed James’s hair back from his forehead, wincing at the bruises to his skin.

He was too scared to look at his other injuries, knowing that he was going to see wounds that were a lot worse, but he knew he had to. Steeling himself, he glanced down to where James’s hands resided, pressed tightly over a gaping wound in his stomach.

“How bad is it?” Aleks asked quietly, knowing he’d been shot.

James lifted his hands away, allowing Aleks to see for himself.

The wound was deep, the bullet buried within his skin. Aleks knew that he couldn’t remove the bullet, as much as he wanted to. James would bleed to death if he did. They needed Stefani’s medical knowledge, and access to the camp’s medicinal supplies.

He felt James touch his shoulder gently, and he flinched. So concerned about James, Aleks had forgotten that he’d been shot as well.

“I’m fine.” He said quickly, wanting to remove the grief from James’s expression. “It’s just a scrape.” The bullet had only clipped him, leaving a surface wound. The blood that soaked his shirt made it look a lot worse than it was.

“Let’s go home.” He whispered, and James nodded wearily.

Aleks wrapped his arms tightly around him and hauled him to his feet, keeping his movements as gentle as he could so that he didn’t aggravate James’s pain. It didn’t quite work, but James kept quiet, gritting his teeth as they took a couple of steps forward.

They stayed close to the cover of the trees as they walked, distancing themselves from the openness of the meadow. James had to lean heavily on him, and Aleks kept a tight grasp on him. He was never letting him go again.

James began to weaken halfway through the forest, and Aleks halted, knowing that he needed to rest for a couple of minutes before they continued their journey.

“I don’t think I’ll make the walk back to camp.” James said bleakly, smiling wryly as he said the words, light-hearted about his fate.

“Don’t worry, I stole a truck.” Aleks responded, wanting to quell his negativity. They weren’t going to die here; he was adamant about that.

James laughed, and although it sounded more like a wheeze, it was the most glorious sound to Aleks. He felt his own lips quirk up into a smile, finding a beacon of hope in his lover’s mirth.

“Seamus is going to kill me when we get back.” He added, in an attempt to keep James’s thoughts on something other than his fatal injury.

It worked. “I won’t let him.” James replied, his dark eyes dancing with such vivacity that Aleks’s hope thrived. Not even a deadly bullet wound could suppress the vitality and energy of James Richard Wilson. “I don’t think Seamus will argue with me when I’m in this state.”

“You have a point.” Aleks said lightly, determined to keep the atmosphere amiable, and he buried his panicked turmoil. He needed to be strong, for James.

Grinning, his boyfriend bravely took a step forward, and Aleks quickly went with him, taking the brunt of his weight.

But then James faltered, his face paling as he caught sight of his shotgun laying on the ground. “Jordan.” He whispered, freezing in horror, realising that he hadn’t seen his best friend yet.

“I’ve got him.” Aleks reassured him, taking another step. “He’s waiting for us in the truck.”

“Oh thank God.” James exhaled, allowing Aleks to lead him forwards. “Is he okay?”

_Better than you._

Aleks chose not to say that aloud. He was glad that Jordan was relatively unharmed, however he couldn’t help but wish that it was James who’d survived the night unscathed. “He’s fine. He has a sprained ankle, and a couple of scratches. Nothing major.” He responded quickly, wanting to continue their journey. “Stop talking, okay? Save your energy so that we can get the fuck out of here.”

James inclined his head, a silent agreement, and they resumed their steady trek through the forest.

They were almost at the highway when Aleks realised that something wasn’t right.

His footsteps appeared to be echoing. His were distinctly different to James’s heavier tread, his movement more sluggish due to his injury, but Aleks’s steps were louder.

Someone was doing an awfully good job of tracking them silently, synchronising perfectly with Aleks’s pace.

Aleks halted, reluctantly letting go of James to grab his rifle. He pressed his finger to his lips when James looked at him questioningly, backing away a couple of steps to scan the forest, searching for their pursuer.

A Hunter had to be close by.

The hairs on the back of Aleks’s neck prickled, and he knew they were being watched.

Suddenly, there was a whistle behind him – the sound of a sharp axe slicing the air.

Aleks whirled around, quickly blocking the weapon with his rifle as James cried out, only able to watch on in horror.

The force of the Hunter’s swing forced the gun out of Aleks’s hands and he darted backwards, unsheathing his knife.

It had never failed him before.

He scanned the Hunter as he approached, weighing his odds.

The Hunter was bigger, stronger, and his melee weapon was deadly.

But Aleks was smaller, quicker on his feet, and skilled at knife combat. His every instinct, his every urge, drove him to protect the one he loved – a hidden strength that would make him victorious against the threat.

They charged at the same time – the Hunter aimed high with his axe but Aleks ducked, diving at his legs to send them crashing to the ground.

The axe clattered to the floor and Aleks used the Hunter’s surprise to his advantage, slitting his throat swiftly. The Hunter choked, blood gushing down his neck and Aleks sprang to his feet, triumphant.

He left him to bleed out, only pausing to retrieve his rifle as he returned to James’s side.

James’s relief at Aleks’s success was palpable, and he clutched him closely as they continued to navigate their way through the trees. But he didn’t speak, and Aleks noticed that his breathing had grown shallower.

They were running out of time.

Fortunately, they reached the highway moments later, and Aleks quickened his pace when he spotted the truck. James stumbled a little, but Aleks held him steady.

Jordan saw them approaching, and he hurriedly left the truck, holding open the passenger door. “Thank God.” He sighed, helping Aleks haul James into the front seat. “I thought I’d lost you.”

James could only muster a tired smile and a slow nod at Jordan’s acknowledgement, and Aleks’s supressed panic rose to the surface. He quickly shut the door, racing around the truck to get to the driver’s seat. “Get the fuck in!” He barked to Jordan, who was frowning at James in concern.

Jordan listened, knowing that James’s life was hanging in the balance, and he returned to the backseat.

“James, stay with me.” Aleks demanded, the words sounding harsher than he intended, his desperation bleeding through. He started up the truck, eyeing James wildly as he did so. “We’re nearly there.”

James hummed quietly, and his withdrawn response forced Aleks to floor it, pounding his foot on the gas. The truck flew forward and Aleks threw his arm across James’s chest, keeping him upright in his seat as he raced down the highway.

He chanced another look at James when he saw the faint outline of the camp in the distance, and wished he hadn’t when he saw that he was unconscious.

Not now.

Not when they were so close.

“James, _no_!” He cried, the truck lurching to the left as he desperately shook his lover, trying to rouse him. “Stay with me baby.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jordan lean forward to apply pressure to James’s bullet wound, trying to stem the flow of blood as it soaked through his shirt. “James, buddy, you have to wake up. We’re nearly home.” Jordan’s voice was a calming influence, and Aleks subdued his simmering panic as he drove into camp, speeding through the obliterated part of the wall.

He hit the brakes, narrowly missing a crowd of campers as the truck slammed to a stop. He charged out of the vehicle, leaving the engine running as he flung open the passenger door, cradling his lifeless partner in his arms. “Get Stefani!” He bellowed to his friends as they approached. “Get her _now!_ ”

His knees nearly buckled under James’s weight as he attempted to pull him out of the truck, but he persevered, his brow beading with sweat. Seamus and Dexter reached his side, and Aleks wanted to bat their hands away when they grabbed a hold of James. He didn’t want anyone else to touch him, but knew that he had to admit defeat.

Together, they carried James’s limp body into the hotel, heading towards the medical bay. Campers stared as they walked past, horrified by James’s injuries, and Aleks’s eyes burned with hot tears.

He’d thought the worst was over, but he was so, so wrong.

Stefani was already inside, and she directed the men to lay James’s body down on the bed. Aleks could barely hear her words, his head pounding as his panic erupted.

“Get out!” He cried suddenly, startling his friends. He couldn’t have an audience as his lover fought for his life. “Get the fuck out!”

Seamus and Dexter didn’t argue, knowing how close Aleks was to losing it. They left swiftly, shutting the door behind them, leaving Aleks and Stefani alone with James.

Aleks fell forward, clasping James’s limp hand with his. “Save him.” He begged brokenly, turning his gaze to Stefani as tears began to pour relentlessly down his cheeks. “ _Please_.”


	22. XXII: The Violet Hour

Stefani was the embodiment of calm detachment as she examined James, her expression giving nothing away as she inspected his condition.

Aleks could only watch her helplessly, paralysed by fear as he awaited her verdict. His thumb was pressed to the pulse point in James’s wrist, the steadiness of his partner’s heartbeat the only thing keeping him stable, keeping him alive.

Stefani didn’t speak as she straightened up. Finished with her examination, she crossed the room to collect some bandages. Aleks tracked her every movement, watching her closely as she fastened a tourniquet around James’s bicep, tightening it until the veins in his skin became visible.

She tied another tourniquet around the top of James’s thigh, in another attempt to stop the steady flow of blood that continued to soak through his shirt. The material still covered his wound but she quickly pushed it out of the way, exposing the severity of the injury.

It looked even worse now than it did out on the clearing, the harsh lighting of the medical bay highlighting the depth of the bullet, and Aleks bit his lip to subdue his anguished cry. Tears continued to drip down his cheeks, distorting his vision as he stared down at his unconscious lover.

He heard Stefani exhale quietly and he looked up sharply. “What?” He snapped, unnerved by her reaction.

“The bullet hasn’t impacted any veins or arteries, and none of his major organs have been hit.” She told him, and Aleks felt a blaze of hope – which quickly extinguished when he realised that she was still frowning.

“That’s good, right?” He said frantically, desperately wanting to believe that James was going to be okay. He couldn’t imagine, couldn’t even _consider_ the alternative. He refused to lose James. Not like this.

Stefani chose not to respond, a true professional of her practice, and Aleks’s temper frayed. “Answer me!” He demanded, his voice verging on hysteria.

“He’s sustained tissue damage.” Stefani said calmly, and she collected a bottle of ethanol from one of the medical cabinets. “If I don’t remove the bullet and stop the bleeding, it’s likely that James will die.”

_Oh God._

Aleks’s world shattered, _again_. His shoulders shook with restrained sobs as Stefani poured the ethanol over James’s skin, sterilising the wound before she operated. Aleks hoped for a visible response at the stinging contact, maybe a flinch or a twitch, but James was completely still.

“Why won’t he wake up?” He whispered, horrified by his motionless form.

“Trust me, it’s a good thing that he’s unconscious. This is going to hurt.” Stefani said bluntly, and she pressed her lips into a thin line, concentrating. Using a scalpel and knife, she made a slit in the wound, exposing more of the bullet.

Aleks felt his face pale, but he refused to look away. He clutched James’s hand tightly, bracing himself as he watched Stefani gather her forceps, preparing to pull out the bullet.

James’s pulse continued to thrum steadily, and Aleks found himself counting the beats as he watched Stefani operate, convincing himself that every beat of James’s heart increased his chance of survival. His tears slowed and his anxiety diminished as he resolutely counted.

On the 47th beat, Stefani pulled the bullet out of James’s skin.

And on the 256th, she told him that James’s bleeding had slowed down considerably, finally beginning to clot as his white blood cells responded to the effectiveness of the tourniquets.

Aleks immediately stopped counting, and he reluctantly tore his eyes away from James to gaze up at her. “So he’s going to be okay?” He whispered, unable to believe it, as much as he wanted to. After everything he’d been through that night, all the agonising trauma that he’d endured, it felt too good to be true.

Stefani nodded, brow furrowed as she stitched James’s skin, closing the wound. “He’ll need to be monitored for the next few hours, but if he makes it through, I think it’s likely he’ll live.”

It wasn’t a certainty, but Aleks would take it. He nodded blearily as he digested her words, choosing to withhold his celebration for now. He wouldn’t rejoice until James was awake, and in a more stable condition.

He was vaguely aware of Stefani cutting his t-shirt to examine his own gunshot wound, but he was completely numb as she stitched his skin. His entire being was solely focused on James, too terrified to tear his gaze away from the steady rise and fall of his chest.

“You should rest.” He heard Stefani say quietly, bandaging his shoulder.

Aleks shook his head. _No fucking way._ “No. I need to be here when he wakes up.” He responded faintly. There was no possibility of him leaving James’s side.

“Aleks—”

“—I’m not fucking going!”

Aleks didn’t mean to snap at her, but he was unstable, still burdened by the emotions he’d experienced that night.

Stefani frowned in concern and Aleks hastily wiped his face, scrubbing away the dried tearstains in an attempt to ease her trepidation. “I’m fine here.” He added quickly.

She didn’t look convinced, but she chose to let it go, much to Aleks’s relief. “Alright.” She said evenly, and she made her way over to the other bed. “Wake me if James’s breathing changes, or if he begins to bleed through his stitches.”

So lost in James, Aleks had forgotten that Stefani had been through as much turmoil as he had tonight, as she cared for her injured friends. No wonder she looked so exhausted. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done.” He whispered, meaning every word.

Stefani gave him a tired smile as she climbed into bed, choosing to stay close by in case more medical attention was needed. “Don’t thank me yet.” She replied wryly, smothering a yawn with her hand as she settled down. “Thank me when James is back to his loud, abrasive self.”

Aleks couldn’t manage a smile, but he nodded at her appreciatively, grateful for her effort to lighten the mood.

Stefani bid him a whispered good night, and then all was quiet.

~O~

Aleks lost all concept of time as he watched James sleep. Seconds, minutes and hours passed by, but he didn’t notice. He was stuck in limbo, completely unaware of the passing of time. The Earth still moved, but Aleks’s orbit was solely James. His entire existence gravitated towards him, and him alone.

He remained vigil by James’s bedside, ignoring the world around him.

Occasionally he’d touch him; a soft caress of his cheek, a squeeze of his slackened fingers, hoping that he could wake him through his loving gestures.

But James remained still, unresponsive to his lover’s touch.

Most of the time, Aleks sat in silence, unable to look away from him. He was afraid that if he did, James would be lost, his soul becoming a whisper in the wind as he passed silently away.

Whilst Aleks waited, he focused on memorising every one of James’s striking features. His gaze was reverent as he trailed his fingertips adoringly across James’s jaw, remembering the radiance of his light that shone through his bright, optimistic demeanour.

The world couldn’t lose a pure soul. Not now, when humanity was in its darkest days. People like James would evolve the world and construct a hopeful future for them all.

And that’s what kept Aleks strong, kept him hopeful.

Nothing was going to take James away from him.

Suddenly, a knock on the door forced Aleks out of his reverie. He blinked as Jordan limped into the medical bay, startled by the interruption.

So enraptured by James, Aleks had forgotten that there was still civilisation around him, struggling to move on after the crisis of the previous night.

“Hey.” Jordan said quietly, and he sank down on the chair opposite him, James’s sleeping body between them. “How is he?”

Aleks wanted to tell him to leave, but resisted. He’d been selfish enough with James and he knew that Jordan had as much right to be here as he did. James meant so much to both of them, and Aleks couldn’t turn him away. “Stable.” He responded, reaching for James’s hand again. “Stefani thinks he’ll make it.”

Jordan visibly relaxed at the news, slumping his shoulders as he leaned back in his chair. “Good. I don’t know what I would have done if…”

He didn’t finish his sentence though, too fearful to speak the words aloud.

Aleks stayed quiet too, gripping James’s limp fingers with his own, sharing Jordan’s agony.

The only difference was, Aleks knew exactly what he would have done. That night had taught him that he couldn’t live in this life without James, and he’d accepted it.

He kept his realisation to himself though, not wanting to burden Jordan.

“How are you?”

The question shook Aleks out of his bleak train of thought. “Fine.” He said tersely. The injuries he’d sustained were nowhere near as bad as James’s.

“What happened to you?” Jordan asked, frowning in concern as he noticed the bandage covering Aleks’s shoulder.

“I got shot.” Aleks replied shortly, hastily continuing when he saw Jordan’s eyes widen in alarm. “I’m fine though. The bullet only clipped me.” He knew that he’d been very fortunate – he would have been killed instantly if it wasn’t for his quick reflexes and the Hunter’s poor aim.

Jordan nodded, his relief evident, and conversation ceased momentarily as they gazed down at the man Aleks loved, a man that had nearly been taken away from both of them.

“The camp’s secure.” Jordan whispered, his eyes scanning the bruises that littered James’s skin. “If the Hunters attack again, we’ll be ready.”

Aleks bowed his head slightly, a silent acknowledgement of Jordan’s words. He was ready too – his rifle was propped up against James’s bed, in preparation of another ambush.

“It’ll take days to repair the damage to the wall, but everyone’s on high alert.” Jordan told him, sinking down in his chair. “I think we’ll make it.”

He sounded confident, his words full of conviction, and Aleks didn’t doubt him. The camp may have suffered grave loss, but they would soon rebuild the structure and their spirit.

This wasn’t the end of the Creatures.

This wasn’t the end of James and Aleks.

~O~

Jordan didn’t stay for long. Exhausted from the fight, he bid Aleks goodnight and left the room, in search of well-deserved rest.

No such fatigue plagued Aleks. His emotions were still rampant, adrenaline still coursing through his veins. He couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, until James was awake.

Fortunately there were no more interruptions after Jordan left. Stefani was still asleep, so Aleks decided to talk to James, hoping that his voice was enough to lure him out of consciousness.

He filled the silence with murmured nonsense for a while. He told him that he loved him, and told him the infinite amount of reasons why. He told him pointless facts about his past, memories that he’d never shared with him before, just to see if it could coerce a twitch or a flicker of an eyelid from James.   

But he didn’t stir.

Aleks soon fell silent, realising his efforts were futile. He kept holding his hand though, wanting to maintain a connection between them both.

But his steadfast grip was beginning to ache his muscles so he decided to pull his hand away to flex his fingers.

He wished he hadn’t when he saw James’s index finger twitch.

He froze, eyes widening as he stared down at James’s limp hand.

He knew it could be a figment of his imagination, but he could have sworn that—

—James’s finger twitched again.

Aleks immediately grabbed his hand, clasping it to his chest as he laced their fingers together. “James, I’m here.” He whispered, reaching out with his other hand to cradle his face, thumb caressing the soft flesh of his cheek. “Come back to me.”

Nothing.

No movement.

But Aleks didn’t give up. He raised their entwined hands to kiss James’s palm, eyes locked on his face. “I’m here. I’ll always be here.” He murmured soothingly. “You have to wake up baby.”

Suddenly James’s eyelids fluttered, and Aleks couldn’t breathe. 

He stilled.

The world stopped turning.

Time froze…

…And then started again when James’s clouded, brown eyes met Aleks’s.


	23. XXIII: Love Me like You Do

Life suddenly mattered again as Aleks and James gazed at each other, neither one truly believing that what they were experiencing was real. Both had felt the claws of death that night and weathered the fatal storm to see the light of another day, at each other’s side once again.

“James.” Aleks breathed, his voice choked as he clutched James’s hand, his only tether to reality.

His lover was visibly disorientated as he struggled to assess his surroundings, his startled gaze scanning the room. It was no surprise after the trauma he’d faced, and Aleks quickly cupped his face, guiding James to meet his eyes gently. “It’s okay baby. We’re safe…we’re home.”

James managed a nod, his expression clearing, and Aleks pressed his lips to his palm, soothing him with his touch. Reluctantly, he released his hand to back up to Stefani’s bed, reaching down to wake her without removing his gaze from James. “Stef, get up.” He ordered, shaking her shoulder roughly. “James is awake.”

To her credit, Stefani snapped into action immediately, and she made her way over to James’s side, Aleks following closely. “Hello stranger.” She said cheerfully, giving James a fond smile. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I’ve been sliced open.” James responded bluntly, his voice rough with exhaustion as he rubbed his eyes.

“Accurate.” Stefani stated, leaning down to examine his gunshot wound. “Don’t move too much, or you might rip your stitches.”

“Yes ma’am.” The vibrant gleam in James’s dark eyes was gradually returning as he grinned up at her, his radiance so bright that Aleks stilled, overcome by his exuberance.

James was _here_. Sitting amongst the rubble of a ruptured camp, fatally wounded – but smiling as if he hadn’t been tortured by the Hunters, as if he hadn’t nearly been torn apart from Aleks.

And Aleks was overwhelmed by it all. By everything. But most of all he was thankful; so, so grateful that the man he loved was still with him. He couldn’t stop the strangled sound that escaped his lips, a muffled sob, and both James and Stefani glanced at him in surprise.

James lifted his arm, a silent summon of comfort as he offered Aleks his hand, and Stefani began to back away from them both.

Distantly, Aleks heard her excuse herself as she left the room to give them some privacy, but he was numb to everything but James. He grasped his hand gratefully, anchoring them together again.

“What’s wrong?” James asked quietly, his thumb tracing soothing circles into Aleks’s skin.

Aleks blinked, stunned by the foolish question. “You’re kidding, right?” He retorted, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice. “You almost died.” The words were bitter, souring his earlier jubilation.

“But I didn’t.” James reminded him gently, gazing at Aleks with so much tenderness that he felt himself begin to tear up.

Quickly he squeezed his eyes shut, unwilling to let James see him cry. “I can’t go through that again. I was out of my mind...you can’t do this to me, ever again.” He whispered, fragmented images of James’s broken body flashing through his mind. “I can’t live without you.”

His words were the truth. Aleks now understood why he’d survived for so long, before he’d reached the Creature camp. All along, he’d been waiting for James. Without him, without their bound future, there was no point to existence; no reason remaining on this detritus earth.

James was quiet for a long time, the impact of Aleks’s words piercing through him, and Aleks opened his eyes warily, unsure what he was going to see as he did so.

His partner was staring at him, brow furrowed in concern. “Aleks, if something happens to me, you need to live. For the both of us.” His voice was steady, a complete contrast to the overwhelming wave of emotion brewing inside Aleks.

“No. I can’t do it.” The hollow ache in Aleks’s ribs was back, his chest tightening with fear, near to tears again as he was once again confronted with a future without James. “There is no point living in this fucking world without you, okay? You’re going to make it through this because I love you, and I need you to be okay.”

“You love me?”

 _Fuck_.

Aleks froze, eyeing James warily. Out of all the ways he could have possibly revealed his feelings, this was definitely the one with the worst timing.

“And you tell me now?” Evidently James was thinking the same thing, but his expression was clearing, his mouth curving up into an amused smile.  

Aleks couldn’t help but feel comforted by James’s calming tone, and he smiled tiredly. “I’m sorry. I’m a fucking idiot.” He murmured, expecting James to agree with him.

But James shook his head, curls tumbling onto his forehead as he gazed up at him, brown eyes shining with vivacity. “I love you too.” He whispered sincerely, and Aleks stilled as the weight of his words struck him.

He was surprised to hear his declaration aloud, but deep down, if he was honest with himself, he’d known for a while that James was in love with him. He’d just been too afraid to accept his feelings. When he looked back on everything they’d been through together, James’s love for him was profoundly clear.

James massacring Hunters to rescue him, James tattooing his name on his skin, James defending him against the playful jibes from their friends. Every touch, every kiss had been tinged with deep meaning, even from the beginning, before they’d even gotten together.

But now, life was altered and Aleks’s world shifted again as the weight of their love hit him.

This was it. _They_ were it. They were two halves of one whole, both unable to live without the other.

Aleks inched closer to him, drawn like a moth to a flame as James opened his arms. He wanted to throw himself at him, but knew that it wasn’t possible with James’s injuries.

So Aleks carefully sank down on the bed, leaning into James’s warmth, desperate for his lover’s touch as he wrapped his arms around him. He was hungering for his affection, _aching_ for it. He reveled in the calm and steady movement of James’s chest against his, eyes drifting closed as James trailed his hands across the expanse of his back, his loving touch burning through Aleks’s thin, torn shirt.

It was everything, and so much more. He was weak from the power of James’s love, but he’d never felt more invincible. He turned his head into the salty skin of James’s neck, nuzzling him. “Don’t leave me.” He whispered, no longer afraid of his weakness, because his love for James was his strength too.

He felt James’s lips brush the shell of his ear, felt his hold on him tighten. “Never.”

Aleks shivered at the proximity, unable to resist him any longer. He began to mouth his way up to James’s jaw, dragging his lips across his skin until he reached his destination. Once he found it, he kissed the corner of James’s lips, leaning back slightly to breathe in, wanting to savor the moment.

But James was too impatient for that. He moved forward to _take_ , aligning their lips as he fisted his hands in the back of Aleks’s shirt, tugging him closer. Aleks went willingly, sighing his lover’s name as James kissed him.  

It was over very quickly. James abruptly tore himself away, wincing as the movement aggravated his stitches and Aleks knew they had to stop, knew that he had to be fragile with him. He didn’t let him go too far though, and he rested their foreheads together, entwining their fingers as they basked in the closeness. 

They remained in their embrace, locked together until they heard Stefani return. Aleks released James reluctantly but didn’t stray from his side as Stef approached the bed with a glass of water and a bottle of tablets. 

“These should help with your pain.” She told him, offering James the pills. “They have a strong dosage, so they’ll knock you out for a while.”

“Sleeping through the pain doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” James commented, and he quickly swallowed the pills when Stefani handed him the water. He was obviously suffering a lot more than he’d let on, but Aleks was grateful that James had decided to accept medical help – for once.

The medicine worked rapidly. Within a couple of minutes, James was struggling to keep his eyes open, and he lay back down on the bed.

“We should let him rest.” Stefani said quietly, reaching for Aleks’s arm, but he shook her off.

“I’m staying.” He said firmly. He was never leaving James’s side again.

James appeared to agree with him, and he moved over on the bed, creating a space for Aleks to sleep beside him.

Stefani frowned unhappily as Aleks immediately began to toe off his boots, preparing to join him. “Not a good idea James. Your injuries—”

“—Fuck them.” James replied groggily as Aleks crawled into bed. He wasn’t concerned about James’s injuries either – he would never hurt his lover. He rested his head gently on his chest, over unbruised flesh, and placed his hand over his heart, relieved to feel the thrum of a strong beat.

Despite her trepidation, Stefani couldn’t fight a smile. “Goodnight guys.” She said fondly, closing the door softly behind her.

Safe in each other’s arms, James and Aleks fell into an easy slumber.


	24. XXIV: Everything Burns

Aleks woke at the light of a new day, when dawn broke and the morning sun illuminated the room with a warm, orange hue.

The first thing he did was check on James. He was sleeping peacefully, his temperature normal, and his wound appeared to be healing nicely. Aleks didn’t want to wake him, knowing that he needed the rest, and he left the bed to walk over to the window, the Creature camp his second priority.

As he peered behind the blind, he could see some of his friends in the courtyard, gathering wood and various other materials to rebuild their home with.

Aleks also saw something that made his heart clench. Outside of the damaged wall, were fifteen unlit pyres, the bodies of his former campmates resting upon them.

Today, Aleks was going to show them the respect they deserved, ashamed of the dismissive way he’d handled their deaths during the battle. Nearly losing James had blurred his perspective, but now he was going to honor their memory; honor the sacrifice they’d made.

Then, Aleks finally examined his gunshot wound, his own health a minor priority compared to James’s. He pulled the bandage away gingerly, relieved to see no sign of infection or ruptured stitches, and he redressed the injury with the fresh bandaging that had been left out for him.

Stefani had also left clean clothing and a basin of water for the both of them, and Aleks washed quickly, grateful to be out of his war-torn clothing. He decided to forgo his shirt for the time being, so that he could clean James without worrying about dripping water over his clothes.

He couldn’t change James out of his clothes whilst he was asleep, and he didn’t want to lest he unintentionally caused him more pain. So he washed his uncovered skin instead, using a cloth to cleanse his scrapes and bruises.

He heard James stir a couple of minutes later, and he grabbed another cloth to wipe away the droplets of water.

“You’re the hottest doctor I’ve ever had.” He heard James whisper tiredly, his voice coarse with fatigue as he reached out, settling his hand on Aleks’s bare chest.

Aleks tossed the cloth away, finished with his task, and he grinned down at James, grateful for his blithe greeting. “Hey you.” He murmured, leaning down to run his fingers tenderly through James’s hair. “How are you feeling?”

“Good.” James said casually, tracing the outline of Aleks’s eagle tattoo with his fingertips.

Aleks couldn’t resist a small insult. “Really? You don’t look it.”

“Asshole.” The retort was swift, James back to his buoyant self.

Aleks beamed, comforted by the playful familiarity.

But the lighthearted moment didn’t linger. James frowned slightly, moving his hand to touch Aleks’s bandage gently. “How are you doing?” He asked quietly.

“I’m fine. It doesn’t even hurt.” Aleks responded, speaking the truth. He captured James’s hand in his and lifted it to his lips, kissing his palm reassuringly. “Are you hungry?”

“Starving.” There was hunger in James’s dark eyes, but it wasn’t for food.

Aleks wanted him too, desperately needing to affirm their love for each other in the best way he knew how, but he knew that they wouldn’t be having sex for a long time. Not until James was completely healthy again, and able to move without wincing. “Behave.” He chided him softly, releasing his hand to pick up his shirt and pull it on. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

But he didn’t get very far. Outside of the medical bay were Jordan, Seamus and Dexter, who were waiting for news on James.

“How’s he doing?” Jordan asked Aleks, the moment he stepped into the corridor.

“He’s sore and hungry, but I think he’ll be okay.” Aleks responded, and his friends visibly relaxed at his words.

“Dan’s cooking breakfast for you both as we speak.” Seamus told him, edging towards the door of the medical bay. “Do you mind if we see him?”

Aleks rolled his eyes at the question; as _if_ he was going to stop them from seeing him. He might be possessive, but he wasn’t selfish enough to keep James all to himself. “Of course not. Come in.”

Dexter and Seamus needed no further encouragement and they darted into the room, making an immediate beeline for James. Aleks smiled as he followed them in, amused that Seamus was the first one to throw his arms around James. Dexter joined the embrace, ruffling his hair until James shoved them both away, calling them a pair of fucking idiots.

Jordan was slower to join them, and he hobbled into the room. The atmosphere turned sombre as James’s gaze met his, both of them hardly able to believe that the other was alive after the traumatic battle they’d faced together.

Aleks knew they’d gone through hell that night, so he stood away to the side to let the two of them have their moment. Seamus and Dexter joined him, sensing that a serious conversation was about to take place, and they watched Jordan approach James’s bed.

Their leader was visibly emotional, tears brimming in the corner of his eyes, and he removed his red cap in a gesture of respect as he reached forward to grasp James’s outstretched hand.

“Don’t get soppy on me.” James said jokingly, but his eyes glittered with unshed tears too as he clasped Jordan’s hand tightly.

Aleks was touched by the exchange between the two friends. Although James was in love with him, his bond with Jordan was just as profound. The two had known each other for years and they had experienced everything together, and Aleks knew that Jordan meant just as much to James as he did.

“I’m so sorry James.” Jordan whispered, shaking his head sorrowfully. “I shouldn’t have left you alone out there.”

“It’s okay.” James’s smile was warm, clear of any blame. “I would have thought I was dead too.”

“But thankfully for this motherfucker, you’re both still here!” Dexter remarked, lightening the mood as he grabbed hold of Aleks, locking him in a brotherly chokehold.

Aleks glared at him as he successfully manoeuvred himself out of the embrace, but he wasn’t mad. How could he be, when James turned to look at him at Dexter’s words, his dark eyes soft pools of adoration.

“Yeah. I’m lucky to have him.” He responded, nothing but love and admiration in his tone, and Aleks felt so empowered by his devoted gaze.

Jordan also mirrored James’s gratitude, and he bowed his head at Aleks, a solemn vow of appreciation for saving both of their lives.

“Are you sure about that? You should have seen him that night, he looked like a fucking psycho.” Dexter said, grinning when Aleks rolled his eyes at him, pretending to be mad but secretly grateful for the teasing ambiance.

They all needed the familiarity of their friendship, to move past the trauma they’d faced, to rebuild their lives together once again.

~O~

The first step towards moving on from the fight took place that afternoon, at the funerals for the fifteen people they’d lost that night.

Everyone gathered just outside of the broken wall of camp to say their goodbyes, including James, who had refused to be left behind. He had to use a pair of crutches to walk over to the site but he managed to do so without incident. Only the occasional wince told Aleks that James was still suffering, and he did his best to support him, standing steadfast at his side as they prepared to remember their fallen comrades.

Jordan had a speech prepared, and everyone was silent as they listened to their leader commemorate the victims, the selfless campers who had given their lives to protect their family.

Aleks had known them, had worked with them, but he hadn’t formed a close tie with any of them. Unlike James, who had known them for years. Still, both men mourned the losses, and sent up silent prayers of thanks for their brave sacrifice.

The service drew to a close when the pyres were lit, a true hero’s send off as the remains dissolved to ashes, smoke saturating the dusky sky.

As Aleks stared into the flickering flames, he decided to take the second step towards moving on. The funeral had inadvertently forced him to relive the horror of that night as he thought about the Hunters – or what was left of them.

He knew that he wouldn’t be able to build his future with James if there were still Hunters haunting Aurora. He’d never feel safe. He’d always be looking over his shoulder, always fearful of James being taken away from him again, and that just wouldn’t do.

So he made a decision, one that could dramatically change their lives again, but he didn’t have a choice.

He had to do this.

Tomorrow, he was going to end the Hunters – once and for all.


	25. XXV: The Hardest Goodbye

Aleks didn’t wait to start making preparations. The moment the memorial service was over, he asked his most trusted companions to join him in the medical bay, knowing James needed to go back to bed, his energy fading fast.

His friends agreed to meet with him, and they steadily made their way back into camp. Aleks kept his hand on the small of James’s back as he limped into the hotel, not allowing the crutches to get in his way as he supported him.

James was quiet as they walked, and Aleks knew that he’d sensed something was up.

Once they were all inside the medical room, Aleks closed the door and turned his expectant gaze to James, waiting for him to get back into bed before he made his announcement.

But James remained standing, propped up on his crutches. He looked exhausted but his back was ramrod straight, his feet planted firmly on the ground. His fixed stance told Aleks that he was a man that wouldn’t be moved, so he didn’t try to reason with him.

It wasn’t worth the argument; he knew that James was going to explode anyway when he heard of Aleks’s plan – a plan that didn’t include him.

“Out with it then.” Dexter remarked, perching on James’s vacant bed. “What’s up?”

His plan was meant for his friends, but Aleks didn’t take his eyes away from James as he spoke. “Tomorrow, I’m going to Aurora.” He stated, watching as his boyfriend’s lips flattened into a thin line.

James didn’t look surprised, having already come to that conclusion. “No.” His tone was assertive, absolutely no room for argument. “No, you’re not.”

His friends wisely remained silent, waiting for Aleks to continue.

He did so, ignoring James’s unhappy frown as he directed his gaze at his friends. “If the Hunters attack here again, we’re all dead. The camp’s defences have been weakened, and it’s going to take us days to repair the damage. I want to go to Aurora, find their base, and take the rest of them out.”

“No.” James said again, his voice louder this time, angry that Aleks was ignoring him.

“I’m asking you all to join me, but I understand if you don’t want to.” That night had shattered everyone in different ways, and Aleks knew that some of his friends wouldn’t be ready to go back into the field. He was happy to do this mission alone, but having a team around him would make it easier.

“Stupid. Of course we’re going with you.” Dexter responded, and Dan nodded his agreement, both men enthused by the plan, judging from their smirks. “I want to take those motherfuckers down.”

James shook his head, clearly annoyed by their agreement, but he stayed silent as Aleks turned to Seamus.

“Thank you for including me this time, instead of charging off and stealing a truck.” Seamus said dryly, recalling Aleks’s actions during the night of the battle. “I’m ready to go when you are. I’m in.”

“I’m coming too.” Aron piped up, causing the others to glance at him in surprise. Aleks wasn’t shocked though; he knew how lethal his friend could be, and he was grateful to have him. “I’ve been working on a special project that I’d love to surprise the Hunters with.” Judging from his cunning smile, it was a deadly one.

That only left Jordan, and he gave Aleks a tired smile. “I’d go with you, but I’m not mobile enough.” He said, gesturing to his sprained ankle. “I’d only slow you guys down. Go, with my blessing.”

Aleks hadn’t expected Jordan to tag along, but he’d invited him to the conversation so that he didn’t anger him by making decisions behind his back. They might be friends, but Jordan was still in charge, responsible for the welfare of everyone in camp, and Aleks was glad to have his approval.  

A team of five was ideal, and that’s what he had, thanks to his friends. It was enough.

Before he could start to discuss strategies, James spoke up.

“I’m coming too.”

Aleks hoped that he was joking, but judging from his grave expression, James was being serious. “If you’re stupid enough to do this, then I’m going with you.” He added, ignoring the concerned glances of his friends as his eyes challenged Aleks’s.

“Like hell you are.” Aleks replied instantly, meeting his gaze defiantly. There was no way that he was risking James in the state he was in. “You’ve been shot.”

“So have you.” James fired back, eyeing the bandage that was visible through the thin material of Aleks’s shirt.

“Mine is a surface wound. You nearly died.” Aleks said bluntly, unwilling to argue about this. He couldn’t believe James was willing to put himself in even more danger, when he was at his most vulnerable. Love really did make people into idiots. “You’re in no state to come with us.”

“Fine, but you’re not going either.” Apparently James knew his argument was a lost cause, his own health working against him, and he chose to affirm his disgruntlement another way.

“You can’t stop me.” Aleks hated himself for uttering those words, but knew he had to use them to make James understand and accept his decision.

It didn’t work. James’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a storm brewing in his dark gaze. “Aleksandr.”

That one word, said with such irritation, was enough to force their friends towards the door, realising that a fight was about to break out. 

Aleks let them leave, knowing that he had time to catch up with them later; James was his priority, for now.

When they were alone and the door was shut, Aleks braced himself, preparing for James’s sharp words. He was ready though, with a fierce argument of his own to counter his boyfriend’s.

But the inevitable dispute didn’t happen.

James’s fight seemed to leave him suddenly, and he sank down onto the bed, letting his crutches fall to the floor. “You can’t leave me behind.” He whispered, forlorn.

And that’s when it hit Aleks, now understanding why James was so against him going after the Hunters – because they would be apart, _again_.

“But you left me behind, when you decided to ditch camp with Jordan and track down the Hunters that night.” Aleks’s reply formed before he had time to properly think his words through, and James recoiled as if he’d been struck in the face.

“That isn’t fair.” He said quietly, his expression pained. “I was trying to protect you. I couldn’t let those fuckers get their hands on you again.”

“So why do you think I’m going to Aurora?” Aleks asked softly, stepping towards James until he was standing in front of him. He reached down to run his fingers through James’s hair gently, trying to erase the hurt his words had just caused him. “Now it’s my turn to protect you.”

James shook his head slightly, gaze cast to the floor, and Aleks cradled his face in his hands, forcing him to look at him. “If the Hunters attack here again, we might not make it this time. That’s why I’m doing this. I need to protect our future.” He told him, his words sincere. “Nothing is going to stop us from having one.”

His honesty seemed to move James, and he was silent as he gazed up at him. Encouraged by his lack of fight, Aleks leaned down to kiss his forehead, grateful that James had seemingly given his reluctant permission.

As his lips brushed against his skin, James’s eyes fluttered closed. “I was so scared.” He whispered suddenly, and Aleks drew back, startled by the confession. “When I lay there in that clearing, I thought I was never going to see you again. I didn’t care what the Hunters did to me…I just couldn’t bear the thought of leaving you.”

Remembering James’s battered body in that meadow, picturing him in distress, brought a lump to Aleks’s throat.

“But now you’re the one who’s leaving...you’re leaving me.” 

His belief couldn’t be more wrong, but it touched Aleks’s heart that James was opening up to him, unafraid to share his grief. He immediately fell to his knees, clutching James’s hands in his as he gazed up at him. “Trust me, I have no intention of leaving you. Nothing is going to happen to me. I’m going to come back to you, I promise.” He meant it. His vow was sacred, and every word rang with conviction. He was going to come home; he was going to return to James.

Nothing was going to stop him.

James still didn’t look convinced, his eyes wary of the promise that had been made, so Aleks rose to his feet to perch beside him on the bed.

Knowing his words weren’t enough, he leaned in, lips gently grazing James’s skin as he planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

He heard James sigh, and felt his arms slide around his waist, drawing him closer. Aleks went willingly, trailing kisses along James’s jaw until he reached his lips. “I promise.” He murmured, echoing those words again, needing James to believe him.

Then he kissed him, closing the distance between them by sealing their lips together; sealing his vow.

~O~

Despite Aleks’s attempt at reassurance, James remained unhappy with his decision, but he wasn’t angry enough to stay away from him. He held Aleks closely that night, murmuring loving endearments to him, and Aleks knew that they were okay.

James even rose at dawn with him, so that he could see him off before he left for Aurora. He couldn’t help with the preparation, barely able to walk without the aid of his crutches, but he watched as Aleks and their friends loaded up the truck, a scowl marring his handsome face. Stefani stood beside him, still needing to keep a close eye on his condition.

Once everyone was ready to go, Aleks knew that he couldn’t delay the inevitable any longer, and he made his way over to a disgruntled James and a visibly amused Stefani. “Look after him.” He instructed Stef, jerking his head in James’s direction. “Don’t let him get into any more trouble.”

Stefani grinned, giving him a mock salute as she backed away, giving the couple some privacy.

Relived, Aleks turned his attention to James. “Don’t look at me like that.” He chided gently, hoping to erase his frown. “You know I wouldn’t be doing this if I had a choice.”

“You do have a choice.” James responded petulantly, not making the situation any easier, and Aleks sighed.

“I don’t want to fight with you before I leave.” He said tiredly, not wanting to ruin their last moments together.

“I’m not fighting. I know that I can’t stop you from going, but I’m not going to pretend to be happy about it.”

Aleks knew that was as close to acceptance as he was going to get. “I’ll be back soon.” He assured him, meaning it. This mission wasn’t going to keep him away from James for long.

“You better be. By sunset, I want you home.” James’s words were an order, but his voice was strained, already worried about being apart.

It was an achievable deadline, and one that Aleks was determined to meet. “You have my word.”

Some of the tension left James’s expression, and he offered Aleks his crutches.

Aleks took them, propping them up carefully against the camp wall, knowing what James wanted.

It was time to say goodbye.

James whispered the two words that were always uttered whenever they were about to be separated, and Aleks immediately enfolded him in his arms, burrowing his face in the crook of his neck.

“Be safe.”

“Always.” Aleks’s reply was muffled, lips pressed to James’s skin as he uttered the third and final word; a word that formed easily, as natural as breathing.

He felt James comb his fingers through his hair; his other hand solid warmth on the small of his back, and Aleks held him tighter, his mind working overtime to memorise the love, the tenderness…and the feeling of utter belonging.

James began to pull away a couple of moments later, sensing their friends’ impatience, and Aleks had to swallow his cry of protest, a lump forming in his throat as he prepared to leave his wounded lover. He reached up to touch James’s jaw, tilting his head down to align their lips, one last time.

He felt James’s fingers curl into the hair at the nape of his neck, deepening the kiss. Their mouths were fused together; _they_ were locked together…and Aleks wanted James’s arms around him forever.

But he had a job to do.

Reluctantly he left James’s embrace, smiling reassuringly at him as he backed up to the truck, sliding into the empty driver’s seat.

Taking a deep breath, he started the ignition and began to drive towards the gaping hole in the wall.

He allowed himself one last look at James, and he glanced in the rearview mirror, watching as James’s figure got smaller and smaller as he pulled onto the deserted highway.

Until he disappeared from sight altogether.

Aleks turned his gaze back to the road ahead, picking up speed as he drove away.

Away from camp.

Away from James.

Away from his heart.


	26. XXVI: Always

Aleks wasn’t on the road for very long when he was forced to stop, encountering a sight that he’d faced before, back on that fateful night.

The corpses of the four Hunters that James and Jordan had killed during the battle still littered the highway, and he had to navigate the truck carefully around them.

His friends glanced at the bodies with disdain as they passed, and Aleks was glad to see the back of them – until Seamus abruptly asked him to stop.

Aleks did so, and he hit the brakes, bringing the truck to a standstill.

“Do you think we should search the forest?” Seamus asked, directing his question to Aleks, showing his acceptance of him as their leader. “Some of the Hunters could still be in hiding.”

Aleks scanned the periphery of the forest, noting the silence. “No, there’s no one left.” His words were full of conviction, absolutely resolute in his belief. “I killed the last of them that were out here. There’s no way that we would have made it back to camp that night if there were still Hunters near us.” 

“Plus, it’s been more than two days.” Dan piped up from the backseat, leaning forward to address them both. “If there were still Hunters out here, they would have attacked camp again by now.”

Seamus nodded slowly, contemplating their argument. “You’re right.” He said, turning his gaze towards the road ahead. “Drive on.”

Aleks hit the gas, picking up speed as they drove down the highway, following the signs that would take them into the city of Aurora.

“Don’t worry, there’ll be no Hunters left after today.” Aleks heard Aron remark, and he glanced in the rear-view mirror to see his friend rummaging through his backpack. Dan and Dexter, sitting on either side of him, were watching him warily.

“What makes you say that bud?” Dan asked carefully, unsure what Aron was searching for.

Aron didn’t need to answer his question: the object that he suddenly held up in the air was enough of a response.

Dan’s eyes widened, Dexter recoiled sharply, and Aleks himself felt a little bit startled by Aron’s discovery. His eyes flickered between the road and the mirror, unable to look away from it for too long.

“Jesus Christ Aron!” Dexter hissed, his eyebrows nearly disappearing into his hairline from his shock. “What the fuck is that?”

Aron grinned, proudly holding up his home-made pipe bomb. “You know exactly what it is.” He said cheerfully. “I’m going to blow those fuckers up.”

Despite himself, Aleks snorted, amused by Aron’s tact.

“I can see that!” Dexter said wildly, still eyeing the bomb in horror. “Please be careful!”

“Don’t worry, it’s only triggered by a remote device. It’s harmless.” Aron promptly demonstrated his point by waving the bomb in front of Dexter’s face, who immediately spat out a curse and pressed himself up against the truck window, trying to put as much distance between them as possible.

Aleks exchanged a grin with Seamus before turning his gaze back to the road, feeling optimistic as he resumed his drive to Aurora.

~O~

Twenty minutes later, they reached the outskirts of the city.

There was nothing but silence – no life, not even that of the infected.

It wasn’t a surprise, considering that the Hunters had driven all of the zombies out of the city to converge on the Creature camp, but Aleks couldn’t help but feel on edge, unnerved by the stillness.

Their search for the Hunter base began at the pharmacy, where Seamus and Aleks had been captured previously. Both men were silent as they passed the alleyway where they’d been seized, their experience with the Hunters still haunting them.

Aleks had to suppress a shudder when he saw the place where Marcus and Nathan had tried to force themselves on him, remembering the feel of their rough, cruel hands and their cold, heartless laughter as they’d clawed at him.

But the horrific memory was quickly overridden by the thought of James, when he’d thrown himself into the fray to save Aleks’s life, a fearless warrior as he’d challenged the Hunters and emerged victorious.

James had saved him, and now it was Aleks’s turn to be brave, to tackle the threat that loomed over them. His love for James overpowered everything else, and he felt his earlier strength return. He refused to let the Hunters weaken him and he resumed his search, resolved to end them.

He knew that the base had to be near the pharmacy, but not close enough that reinforcements could have been called upon. If the base had been in close proximity to the pharmacy, Dexter and James would have been captured alongside Seamus and Aleks, and none of them would have made it out alive that day.

It had to be within a mile radius, and Aleks and his team scoured each street, looking for suitable buildings that could house a large group of cannibalistic humans.

The search took hours; they had no choice but to be thorough, and every building that could have been a possible base had to be explored, inch by inch. They moved slowly, carefully, aware that they could be ambushed at any point.

An hour before sunset…they finally found it.

The base was in a large, abandoned warehouse that was tucked away at the end of a street, surrounded by barbed wire fencing. Corpses of infected littered the road, the only zombies that the Creatures had seen all day, and they approached the site cautiously.

Aleks had hidden the truck in case the remaining Hunters tried to take it from them, and he led his friends into the grounds of the warehouse, ducking through a hole in the metal fencing.

He stayed close to cover as he approached the building, knowing that there could be eyes on them, and he ignored the large entrance to sidestep around the building, looking for a more subtle way to get inside.

He found it in the shape of a broken window at the back of the warehouse. The back door was chained from the other side, and the window appeared to be the only way in.

Aron immediately volunteered his services, being the only one who could fit through the window, and he used Dan as his ladder to reach it.

He made it through, and had the door unlocked for them in a matter of seconds.

“It stinks.” Aron said bluntly, holding the door open for them as they passed him.  

He wasn’t kidding.

Aleks was immediately overcome by the stench of the warehouse; the smell of rotten, decaying flesh, and he quickly yanked his scarf over his nose.

The smell alone was enough of a sign. This was definitely the Hunter’s home.

They appeared to be standing in a back room, and they quickly split up into groups to search the large expanse of space. Dan, Dexter and Aron headed through a set of double doors to explore the ground floor, leaving Aleks and Seamus to investigate the lots upstairs.

In a building of this scale, without many walls to muffle sound, Aleks could hear his friends on the floor below him as he and Seamus took the stairs to reach their destination.

It meant that the Hunters would be heard just as clearly…if there were any around.

Aleks paused at the top of the staircase, just so that he could listen to his surroundings.

But all he could hear was footsteps as they echoed off of the walls; the other half of his group sneaking around downstairs, and Seamus’s light breathing beside him.

He wouldn’t let his guard down though, and he remained vigilant as he beckoned Seamus forward. They moved slowly, checking each room and around each corner – even opening storage containers to glance inside.

What they found was absolutely horrifying – rotting limbs of human corpses, bones spewed across the floor – but there no sign of life.

Suddenly Dexter’s voice crackled through the radio, confirming Aleks’s suspicion. “Downstairs is clear.”

There weren’t any Hunters here…and maybe, just maybe…they were all _dead_.

“Upstairs is clear too.” Seamus responded, speaking into the mic. “Wait where you are, we’ll come and find you.”

After clipping the radio back to his belt, Seamus ran his fingers across a metal rail, noting the dust that coated his skin. “Nobody’s been here for days.” He remarked, wiping his hand on his jeans. “I think the last of the Hunters came to camp to try to take us down.”

Aleks nodded, agreeing with him, but he wasn’t going to announce the end of the Hunters just yet. There was still one thing that he needed to do, and he began to make his way towards the staircase, Seamus dutifully following him.

They reunited with the rest of their team downstairs, in what appeared to be one of the Hunter’s torture chambers, judging from the dried bloodstains that coated the floor.

“Do you think we should salvage some supplies?” Dexter asked as they approached, examining the large array of bloody tools that lined the wall. “There’s some powerful weaponry here.”

“I don’t want anything those fuckers touched.” Aleks replied bluntly, eyeing the weapons with distaste. He couldn’t bear to imagine the torture that had been inflicted upon innocent humans through the use of such violence, and he turned away, directing his gaze towards Aron.

“Wire the bomb.” He commanded, ignoring the glances of confusion thrown his way by his friends.

“Is there any point?” Dan questioned, frowning slightly. “The Hunters are gone.”

“There’s every point.” Aleks said firmly. Whilst it was more than likely that the last of the Hunters had been killed, he was a pessimist; unable to feel absolutely secure in their future. “There might be a couple of them still out there, so leave them with nothing. Leave them powerless.”

Aron didn’t need any more persuading, and he immediately began to wire the bomb into the framework of the building.

“Just to confirm…this won’t burn the whole city down, will it?” Seamus asked cautiously, knowing that they had no way of extinguishing a fire of such a scale if something went wrong.

“No, it’s not designed for that.” Aron responded, brow furrowed as he inspected the wiring. “The force of the bomb will destroy the structure of the building and rip limbs apart, but it won’t set anything alight.”

“Well then, we better detonate it from a safe distance.” Dexter said, already backing out of the room, wary of the bomb’s power.

“No shit Sherlock!” Aron called after him, amused by the Brit’s obvious fear.

Rolling his eyes, Aleks holstered his rifle. “Let’s go boys.”

~O~

Under the light of the setting sun, the Creatures gathered on top of a nearby cliff that overlooked the vacant city.

Aron removed the remote device from his pocket once everyone’s gaze was trained on the Hunter base, but he didn’t detonate the bomb. “Would you like to do the honours?” He asked, startling Aleks, who hadn’t expected to be asked to do it.

“You sure?” But his hand was already reaching for the device, wanting to be the one to end them, once and for all, and Aron grinned as he pressed the remote into his palm.

“I’m sure.” He said cheerily, stepping away. “I had my fun whilst I was making it. You deserve this.”

And maybe Aleks did, after everything he’d been through.

He didn’t hesitate, and he pressed the button.

There was a low boom, the vibration barely reaching them from their vantage point, and they watched as the warehouse crumbled, sending a plume of smoke into the air.

“So that’s it?” Dexter’s voice broke the silence that had befallen them as they’d witnessed the final fall of the Hunters. “They’re gone?”

Aleks turned his eyes away from the streaks of grey and orange that painted the sky to meet his friend’s gaze levelly. “This gang of Hunters might be dead, but there are more people out there like them.” He responded, already thinking about the existing threats that remained.

He felt a calming hand on his shoulder, and he glanced over to see Seamus beside him. “If we encounter them, we’ll all be ready next time.” He said firmly, his faith in the Creatures’ strength resolute, and he gave Aleks a reassuring smile.

Aleks allowed his friend to soothe his worry – for now, and he returned his smile, reaching up to place his hand on his shoulder, returning the brotherly gesture.

“We should go. Every zombie in a fifty-mile radius probably felt that explosion.” Seamus said, his hand slipping away from Aleks’s shoulder as he backed away. “Are you ready?”

The question was simple, and didn’t require a long answer. But Aleks couldn’t help but think of the weight behind the question…was he ready?

Was he ready to start again, to _live_ again, and build his future with James?

The answer, as it turned out, was also simple.

“Ready.” Aleks replied confidently, turning his back on the ruptured remains of his past.

~O~

When they arrived back to camp, there was no welcoming party to greet them.

Aleks hadn’t expected one. The Creatures were still shattered, still grieving for their fallen comrades, and he was met with tired smiles and whispered acknowledgements as he parked the truck. The campers’ relief was paramount at their successful return, but there would be no celebration today.

Aleks bid his friends a quiet thanks as he left them, eyes scanning the courtyard to seek out James.

He didn’t see him, but that didn’t surprise him. James’s condition was frail, and there was no way that he would have had the energy to wait up for him.

He found Stefani though, and she directed him towards the medical bay, where she’d made James rest for the entirety of the day. She warned him of his frayed temper, but Aleks waved her off, having already predicted it. He’d been gone for a long time, longer than he’d anticipated, and he knew James would be an anxious, angry wreck.

Just like he was when they were apart for too long.

He quickly made his way into the hotel, slowing his pace as he approached the open door to the medical room.

He paused in the doorway, allowing himself a couple of moments to just _live_ , to savour the stillness before his presence interrupted it.

He unashamedly admired the canvas in front of him; only able to see James. There was no other sight, no other sound…no air, no life. Just _James_.

His partner was sitting up in bed, his gaze fixed on Cry’s journal, which was cradled carefully in his hands. The golden light of the setting sun illuminated the room, casting shadows of his silhouette.

He looked like he had the weight of the world sitting on his shoulders. His posture was stiff, and his eyes moved restlessly as he read, unable to absorb the words on the page, too anxious by Aleks’s prolonged absence.

Aleks knew that he should announce himself, to end James’s unease, but he allowed himself to be selfish for a little while longer. It wasn’t often that he got to watch James like this, and his eyes drank in the sight of him; injured, but oh-so alive.

James moved suddenly, and he tossed the journal aside to run a hand down his haggard face. He glanced towards the window, furrowing his brow at what he saw outside, dismayed by the impending arrival of nightfall.

As much as Aleks enjoyed being a voyeur, he knew it was time to end his lover’s suffering.

He stepped into the room, capturing James’s attention immediately.

Their eyes met, as magnetised things often did.

“You’re back.” James breathed, his face lighting up with relief.

“You sound surprised.” Aleks remarked, a ghost of a smile shadowing his lips. “I promised you, didn’t I? I told you that I’d be back by sunset, and I meant it.” He wanted to shake his head at James’s doubt; of course he’d always come back to him.

“ _By_ sunset, not during it.” James swiftly responded, eyes dancing with mirth as he playfully challenged him.

“Asshole.” There was no sting in Aleks’s reply; only affection and amusement. He began to approach the bed, wanting to greet him properly, but James’s sudden frown made him halt.

“Are they…are they gone?” He whispered, his fingers restlessly fiddling with the hem of the blanket that covered him as he braced himself for Aleks’s answer.

Aleks wished that he could promise him a future without any danger, but he was a realist. They were still surrounded by the infected, and there were still humans out there who lived like the Hunters that had tormented them. They may be safe at the moment, but that didn’t mean that they would be forever.

For now though, he would take whatever he could get. He was blessed to have a home, to have a family, and to be loved by the bravest, kindest man he’d ever known. “They’re gone.” He affirmed, choosing not to go into any further detail. He wasn’t going to waste another breath on those monsters. “We’re safe.”

James elicited a sigh, tension draining away, and Aleks resumed his walk until he was standing beside his bed.

It had been far too long since he’d been near him, since he’d touched him, and that just wouldn’t do. So he lifted his hand; reaching out like he’d always reached out, to cradle James’s jaw, tilting his head to meet his gaze. His hand was cold and calloused compared to James’s warm skin and the soft, wiry curls that lined his jaw, but James didn’t flinch away at his touch.

“I love you.” Aleks murmured, knowing that he would never grow bored of telling him. “Always.”

Now it was James who reached out, and his hands tugged Aleks closer, until he was sitting on the bed beside him. “I love you too.” He whispered, and Aleks fell into his arms, hooking his chin over his shoulder as he breathed him in.

James smelled like distance and absence until he was enfolded in Aleks’s embrace…and then he smelled like home.


	27. XXVII: Against All Odds

With the Hunters out of the way, there were only two things that continued to worry Aleks: the rebuild of the camp wall, and James’s slow recovery.

Whilst Stefani had assured him numerous times that James’s life wasn’t at risk and that he’d eventually return to full health, Aleks couldn’t help but feel apprehensive. As a result, he found himself unable to leave James’s side, and he ducked out of his responsibilities to spend all of his time with his recuperating boyfriend.

James teased him about his ‘separation anxiety’, but Aleks knew that he was secretly grateful for the opportunity to spend more time together. Stefani had confined James to the medical bay and placed him on strict bed-rest, so Aleks had naturally moved in with him, unwilling to spend their nights apart.

This had immediately prompted Stefani to remind them that sex definitely wasn’t an option, not until James’s gunshot wound had completely healed. He was barely able to walk as it was, and any type of physical activity would rupture the stitching that stopped him from bleeding to death.

Being completely immobile had left James _very_ frustrated. He was only allowed a short walk around the camp courtyard once a day, on the condition that he used his crutches, and he was getting more and more restless with each passing day.

After being an active member of the camp for so long, being confined to one small room was beginning to drive him crazy. James wanted to help fix the camp, he wanted to be out in the fresh air, and he wanted to have sex with Aleks. He expressed those three desires daily to anyone who would listen, but it was mostly Aleks who had to endure his rants.

He didn’t mind too much. A riled-up James was an extremely hot James, and his outbursts of fury turned Aleks on.

Deep down, he was just as sexually frustrated as James, but he’d learned to hide it better. Knowing that he was a risk to James’s health allowed him to keep a clear perspective and he could easily distance himself from his boyfriend when he got particularly hands-y.

Recently he’d found a distraction in the form of the guitar that James had made him pick up on one of their previous supply runs, and he spent a couple of hours each day recalling old melodies and composing some of his own, original pieces.

James was often quiet whilst he played, and Aleks embraced the stillness between them. Both were content to just bask in each other’s presence, needing no words to vocalise the love shared between them.

~

One warm, spring morning found the two lovers cooped up in the medical bay. All of the windows were open, cooling the small room with a light breeze. Rays of light danced across the walls, casting a warm hue on the couple, who were sprawled out across one of the beds.

Aleks was playing his guitar, his attention transfixed by the musical chords, but occasionally he’d glance up and meet James’s gaze, admiring the way the light brightened his soft, dark eyes, illuminating flecks of hazel and russet.

He didn’t need sheets of music to record his songs; James was his muse, and the melodies flowed effortlessly from his fingertips.

Suddenly the guitar was ripped out of his hands, and he glanced up sharply, annoyed by the interruption. “Hey!” He protested, watching helplessly as James flung the instrument towards the other bed. It landed safely on the mattress, unharmed, but Aleks’s irritation didn’t waver. “Why did you do that?”

“You’ve got to stop.” James’s voice was rough, coarse with frustration, and Aleks knew immediately what that tone meant.

“Why?” He asked coyly, although he already knew the answer. He lowered his eyes to James’s crotch, biting his lip when he saw the bulge in his pants. He’d known that playing the guitar shirtless would provoke some kind of response from his unsatisfied boyfriend, and he was pleased by his reaction.

“You’re a fucking tease.” James muttered, his face darkening as he glared at Aleks. “Get over here.”

Usually Aleks was rendered powerless when James used his authoritative, dominating voice on him, but he managed to find some inner strength to form a resistance. “Can’t. Not allowed.” He responded, smirking when James elicited a growl, annoyed by the prolonged lack of contact between them.

Aleks knew that if James was at his full strength, he’d be pinned down to the bed by now, writhing with need as his boyfriend tortured him with his touch.

It felt good to be the one with the advantage for once, but he felt his resolve begin to fade as he gazed at his needy, deprived lover.

James’s eyes regarded him warily as Aleks began to inch his way across the bed, so that they were sitting opposite each other. Before he could question him, Aleks closed the distance between them and collided their lips together with fervent urgency.

He heard James’s breath hitch, taken aback by the sudden passion, but his desire ignited quickly. His hands immediately sought Aleks’s hips, and he pressed the pads of his fingertips into his naked skin possessively, hard enough to bruise, staking his claim.

Aleks might enjoy his musical outlet, but his favourite symphony was always going to be James. Every kiss, every sigh, every stifled moan crafted a melody, and Aleks committed every note to memory, using his skilful fingers to conduct their performance.

But the crescendo of their song couldn’t reach its peak without some kind of catalyst, and Aleks reached down to grasp James’s zipper, wanting to pleasure him.

They might not be able to have sex, but there was more than one way to get his lover off.

But their song abruptly ended when James captured his hand in his. “No.” He murmured, and Aleks frowned as he was forcibly withdrawn from his haze.

“I want to.” He whispered, trying to pull his hand out of James’s grasp.

James’s gaze was gentle, the fire of his desire beginning to simmer. “The next time we have sex, it’s going to be done properly.” He said quietly, lacing their fingers together.

That caught Aleks’s attention, and he stopped trying to pull away. He raised one eyebrow curiously, enjoying the rosy hue that began to shade James’s cheeks.

“We’re in love and shit.” He said sheepishly. “When I finally get the all-clear, I want to do it right.”

“Eloquent.” Aleks stated, amused by his choice of words. He smiled fondly, reaching up to run his fingers through his boyfriend’s mane of curls.

“Shut the fuck up.” James’s face was now scarlet, unused to being so open about his feelings, and he tried to lean back.

Aleks refused to let him go though, and he slid his arms around his neck, fusing them together. “Are you going to make love to me James Wilson?” He whispered, gazing at him imploringly.

“Soon.”

It was a promise that James had every intention of keeping, and Aleks beamed as he leaned in, pressing his lips tenderly to the blush that stained his lover’s skin.

~O~

So absorbed by his concern for James, Aleks didn’t really pay much attention when whispers of a national Government broadcast suddenly began to circulate around camp, a couple of days later. Aron had been the one to hear the incoming message, transmitted through the radio waves, which alerted survivors to wait for an announcement that following Saturday.

Not many campmates were optimistic about the incoming news, still mourning the devastating loss that the battle had caused, and Aleks shared their doubt. Whilst he was ready to build his future with James, he wasn’t feeling positive about the possible return of a broken Government. Society was never going to return to what it used to be, before the outbreak of a virus that had infected thousands of people, so why hope?

Besides, the Government had been suspiciously quiet since they’d announced the last supply drop for each state, adding to Aleks’s scepticism. 

Although, he still went to Aron’s technical hub on the day of the announcement, when Jordan summoned him and James, moments before the radio broadcast was due to start.

James’s strength was swiftly returning, and he managed the short walk to Aron’s room without his crutches, and without wincing or flinching in pain. So relieved by his recovery, Aleks didn’t protest when James sat down in the last remaining seat and promptly pulled him onto his lap, shooting him a beseeching smile as he did so. “Making room.” He said innocently, referring to the crowded space, but Aleks knew better.

He rolled his eyes playfully, but didn’t argue with the excuse. James was being clingier than usual, and Aleks knew that it was out of sexual frustration. He simply shifted his weight, ensuring he wasn’t pressing against James’s healing injuries, and settled against his chest, wrapping his arms securely around him. “Idiot.” He murmured, kissing the top of his head tenderly.

“So before the shit hits the fan, I want to hear some conspiracy theories.” Dexter drawled, and Aleks reluctantly dragged his gaze away from James to glance at him. “What the fuck are the Government going to say to us?”

“They’re going to promise us an infinite amount of supplies.” Trust Jordan to think practically, always preparing for the camp’s future. “That’s all we can hope for.”

“They’re going to nuke us.” Aron’s eyes were glinting in that mischievous, impish way that Aleks had grown to admire, and he chuckled when a couple of campmates turned to look at his friend in horror. “They’re going to blow up the entire planet.”

Seamus snorted, also amused by Aron’s tact. “Well if this is our last day on Earth, then I’m not spending it with you fuckers.” He remarked, drumming his fingers idly on the table beside him. “I’m sick to death of the lot of you.”

Aleks heard James inhale sharply, and he looked down to see his boyfriend with an expression of mock-pain. “Seamus, you’re breaking my heart.” He said, his hand resting on his chest. “I thought you and I had something special.”

“Eh…you’re okay I guess.” Seamus responded, and he exchanged a grin with James. Aleks smiled, warmed by the comradery between the two.

“C’mon guys, isn’t it obvious what’s happening?” Dexter questioned, eyebrows raised. “It’s definitely an alien invasion.” He said it with such solemn conviction that most people in the room chuckled in disbelief.

“Hey, it could happen.” Dan piped up, leaping to Dexter’s defence. “We’ve got zombies; why can’t we have aliens too?”

James immediately launched into a teasing tirade, ridiculing the two for their idea, and Aleks was grateful for the light-hearted atmosphere, glad that no one was taking the radio announcement too seriously. They didn’t need the Government’s interference; the Creatures were a formidable force without them.

Suddenly the speakers crackled, and the room fell silent as a voice filtered through the air: Colonel Forrester, the spokesman in charge of national governmental communication.

Against all odds…the Colonel’s announcement was going to change Aleks’s life forever.  


	28. XXVIII: You and I

_“This is Colonel Forrester…broadcasting live across the United States of America.”_

“Not so united.” James muttered under his breath, which swiftly earned him a sharp elbow in the ribs from Aleks, who was now anxious to hear what the US government had to tell them. He wasn’t the only one – everyone in the room was waiting with bated breath, a tableau of anticipation.

_“We have waited nearly two years to tell you this…but now it’s time you knew. America’s safety is on the horizon, and the entire country will be free of the infected within the next five years.”_

That comment was met with many eye-rolls, snorts of derision, and disappointed shakes of heads. Aleks himself was tempted to leave the room – he’d never had much faith in the government even before the biological virus had struck the country, so he had no reason to believe them now.

He was about to leave James’s lap and voice his disdain, but the Colonel’s next words made him freeze.

_“The state of California has been neutralised thanks to the efforts of our armed forces. No infection remains. Currently there are over 500,000 people living in restructured housing, continuing the lives that they’d built before the virus spread. We will begin evacuating survivors from each state and take them to California, but our efforts will take time. All we can offer is approximation, but we promise that we will not stop until every civilian is safe and every state is purged of infection. Nevada and Utah are our first targets, and we’ll need six months to evacuate every survivor there. After that, Colorado is our next priority and we’ll start flying survivors to California once everyone’s safety in Nevada and Utah has been guaranteed. Then we’ll focus our efforts on Texas…”_

But the Colonel’s words began to fade away as Aron turned down the volume of the radio. No one needed to hear anymore – they’d heard the most important news.

It was going to take some time…but they were going to be saved.

Humanity still had a chance.

Aleks didn’t realise he was crying until he felt James gently touch his cheek, brushing away a tear tenderly. Startled out of his reverie, Aleks turned to look at him, another tear escaping when he saw the elation and hope in his boyfriend’s dark eyes. They stared at each other in awe, both realising that their dream of a safe future was possible. They just needed to stay alive for a while longer…and then they’d make it. Together. 

Both were numb to the celebration around them as fellow campmates burst into loud cheers, embracing one another in jubilation. They had time to rejoice with their friends later; for now, they only wanted to be with each other.

Aleks quickly rose to his feet, grasping James’s hand tightly as they began to make their way through the crowded room. No one tried to stop them, all too caught up in their own euphoria, and the couple successfully made their escape.

The corridor was empty but James didn’t stop. Aleks let himself be led, still reeling from the government’s announcement as he stumbled after James, hardly able to believe that what he had just heard was _real_.

He wasn’t too blindsided though to realise that James had walked past the medical bay, and he was now heading purposefully towards the staircase. Aleks was going to express his concern for James’s health but the fiery determination radiating from his boyfriend made him keep his thoughts to himself.

They managed six flights of stairs without any sign of pain or shortness of breath from James, and suddenly they were in their room, somewhere they hadn’t been for a long time.

Aleks sighed in relief, grateful for the privacy that he’d been denied for so long as James locked the door behind them, shutting them off from the rest of the world.

“So, California?” James said lightly, though his voice was choked with emotion. He managed a smile, tinged with disbelief and joy…and best of all, hope. “That will be…different.”

Different was an understatement. Aleks smiled, warmed by James’s happiness, his previous concerns a thing of the past. Nothing mattered anymore; certainly not the trauma they’d faced, because James was looking at him like he was his whole word, and Aleks couldn’t get enough of it. “Very different.” He echoed, reaching out to lace his fingers through James’s, and he looked up at him shyly. “We can go for walks on the beach together.” He’d dreamed of a different life for so long…and now it was within his reach.

James squeezed his hand tenderly, his eyes soft with adoration. “Sounds perfect.”

And in that moment…Aleks had never felt so alive. He was alight just from the pure intensity of James’s gaze, and he knew that he could never let him go. If he did, he knew that it would kill him. Being so dependent on someone, being so in love; it used to scare him. But it didn’t anymore. It hadn’t for a long time.

“James.” Aleks’s voice was reverent, the name of his lover tumbling from his lips like a prayer, a divine exhalation of love and devotion. He was too overwhelmed to say anything else, but James understood.

He leaned in and sealed their lips together, reaching up to place a gentle hand on either side of Aleks’s face, thumbs brushing away the tears that still lingered across his cheekbones. Aleks immediately melded himself to him, hands clutching the thin material of James’s shirt to tug him closer.

But his need for intimacy was denied when James abruptly broke the kiss. He pulled away to rip his shirt over his head, and Aleks knew instantly what was about to happen. “You haven’t been given the all-clear yet.” He whispered, but there wasn’t much conviction in his words.

Already the red mist of desire was beginning to cloud his judgement, and he ran his gaze across the planes of James’s chest, eyes appreciatively tracing the skin he’d been deprived of for so long.

“My bruises have healed, and my gunshot wound is beginning to scar.” James responded steadily, his eyes beginning to darken with the depth of his own longing. “I want you.” The firm set of his jaw meant no room for argument, and Aleks’s small shred of concern swiftly shattered from the force of James’s dominant gaze.

The haze enveloped him and Aleks willingly threw himself into the hurricane. He melted into James like wax before a flame, kissing him fiercely. But he still wasn’t close enough, and he arched his back, pressing closer. There was an ache inside of him, a need to have James, _all_ of James; his body and soul.  

They pushed and pulled, and it _burned_. The heady drag of lips across skin had them clawing at each other, grabbing and panting as their fire ignited, the flames blazing through their bodies.

James’s hands were everywhere, scorching Aleks’s skin as they mapped a path south, tugging impatiently at Aleks’s shirt until he was forced to step back and allow James to rip it off. The rest of his clothing rapidly met the same fate, and he shivered as the cool air caressed his oversensitive flesh.  

“Lay down on the bed.” James’s voice was coarse with hunger, his eyes illuminous in the moonlight, and Aleks couldn’t deny him, too lost in desire. He allowed it to wash over him, to immerse him, and he did what James asked, welcoming ecstasy like a precipice he was unafraid to stand upon.

He settled on the bed, a quivering mess from the heat of James’s gaze alone. His boyfriend was a sight to behold as he loomed over him, bathed in the silver of the moonlight that streamed through the window. Shadows danced across the planes of his chest, and the silvery lines of his battle scars shone in the dark. Aleks ached to kiss each and every one, needing to eradicate James’s pain with his loving touch.

He was burning up, pressure tightening low in his abdomen, made worse when James began to remove his jeans, so slowly that it was agonising for Aleks to watch. He was about to voice his longing, to close the distance between them, when James leaned down to trail his fingers lightly across his jaw, silencing the whimper that escaped Aleks’s lips.  

Aleks trembled under his boyfriend’s touch, breathing harshly when James skated his hand soothingly down his neck. But he was too far away, and Aleks wanted to be entirely consumed by him. “Kiss me.” He whispered, mouth dry. He wanted to feel James’s weight on top of him, grounding him to the bed.

His wish was granted. James joined him, covering his body with his own, framing Aleks’s face with both hands to kiss him like their lives depended on it. The fire between them began to burn brighter as they wrapped themselves together, their legs and arms coming around each other, pushing and pulling, frantic and fervent.

Still Aleks wanted _more_. Unwavering arousal twined like branches through his veins, igniting every nerve ending in his body, and he pushed his hips desperately into James’s, seeking release.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you baby.” He heard James murmur, understanding and tender, and then he heard a drawer open and close. “I’m right here.” He continued to whisper hushed endearments into Aleks’s heated skin, alleviating some of his tension when he felt James’s finger slide inside of him.  

It was too much but still _not enough_. Aleks didn’t realise that quiet whimpers were cascading from his lips until James began to stamp adoring kisses along his jaw. Aleks’s body was singing with indulgence, his skin crackling from the heated frenzy of their love, and he canted his hips, a silent plea.

And then he felt him, and Aleks quickly reached out to fist the sheets with his hands, preparing to embrace the burn he’d craved for so long. He bit his lip, tasting blood when every inch of James was finally enveloped in his tight, scorching heat.

James’s hands found his, and Aleks forced himself to release the sheets to intertwine their fingers together, desperate for an anchor as they began to brave the tide together. Wound together like this, with Aleks’s legs wrapped around James’s waist and their hands held tightly together, Aleks had never felt more connected to him. He could felt James’s entire being, his body, soul and heart. Their breaths mingled, their heartbeats fluttered in alignment, truly one as they moved together.  

The fire continued to engulf them, sparks dancing across their skin, and it was a merciless, scorching attack on Aleks’s senses. Surges of fire burned through his veins until a blinding inferno overcame him, and he clutched desperately at James as everything exploded, blazing and consuming them entirely.  

Slowly, the fire began to burn out as their heartbeats slowed and their breathing steadied. They curled up together, arms wrapped tightly around each other, sweaty and exhausted, but primal and _so very alive_.


	29. XXIX: Brighter Days

**‘The world you desire can be won. It exists…it is real.**

**It is _yours_.’**

**Ayn Rand; _Atlas Shrugged_**

The following day, Stefani wasn’t thrilled when she realised what had transpired between James and Aleks shortly after the government’s announcement. The couple hadn’t spoken of it but the beaming smiles both men adorned and their inability to look away from one another told Stefani everything she needed to know.

Fortunately, the men weren’t scolded too much, and when they were, both took it with a smile, knowing that Stef’s reprimands were purely spoken out of concern for James’s health.

The nurse deemed James healthy enough to return to his duties in camp, as long as he avoided any heavy lifting or strain for another two weeks. The news was a ray of hope for James, and Aleks understood how much it meant to him. He knew his boyfriend hated feeling useless, knowing he’d thought of himself as a burden whilst he recovered from the trauma of the battle.

James immediately threw himself back into his active role as one of the leaders of the Creature camp, choosing to undertake one of his favourite tasks first: babysitting the camp’s young children.

Aleks watched him now with a fond smile gracing his lips; James was truly in his element as the children chased him around the vast courtyard, and the sound of their laughter illuminated the camp. Most of the residents had gathered outside to enjoy the spring sunshine, and for the first time since that fateful night, the camp was finally beginning to feel like home again.

“You two are so cute.”

At the sound of Joe’s voice, Aleks reluctantly tore his eyes away from James’s radiant form to glance at his friend. “Shut up.” He muttered, but there was no embarrassment or disgruntlement in his tone. He could never be ashamed or humiliated by his love for James.

“You’re seriously giving me and Spencer some tough competition for camp’s best couple.” Joe said playfully, narrowly avoiding the jab to his ribs that Aleks quickly sent his way by sliding down the bench to put some distance between them. Both men were seated at one of the tables, cleaning the camp weaponry.

Aleks rolled his eyes, but was secretly grateful for the light-hearted conversation. It painted a bright future for them all.

“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever thanked you.” Joe added unexpectedly, as he returned to his former position beside him. The sudden seriousness in his voice made Aleks still, and he dropped his gaze to the gun in his hands, unsure if he was ready for the conversation that was about to unfold.

“Why would you need to thank me?” He asked lightly, but had a feeling he knew what Joe meant.

“For not giving up on them.” Joe responded solemnly, and Aleks tracked his gaze to see that he was watching James, a slight smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “For saving them.”

“James and Jordan saved themselves.” Aleks said, a ring of truth to his words. They had – they’d been the ones to fend off the Hunters, to chase them away from the camp. “All I did was bring them home.”

Now it was Joe’s turn to look exasperated, and he shook his head fondly. “You did more than that, and you know it.”

Aleks shrugged his shoulders, brushing off the praise. He didn’t need it.

Joe seemed to sense that Aleks wasn’t willing to talk about that night, and he changed the subject slightly. “I’m just glad everything worked out, in the end.” He admitted. “I can’t imagine living in this camp without James or Jordan.”

Aleks couldn’t either. James and Jordan were the light of camp; the strength and spirit of the people. Even now, he was drawn to James, and he found himself watching him again, unable to fight the connection that bound them together. Love truly was a formidable force.

That’s when he noticed something that made him frown. All of the children were playing with James…except for one, a young girl named Sophie, no older than five or six years old. She was sitting on the grass, knees drawn up to her chest, watching the other children play with a pained expression on her face, her eyes downcast.

Aleks tugged on Joe’s arm to get his attention. Wordlessly, he pointed over to the young girl, asking for a silent explanation for her sorrow.

Joe didn’t look surprised by what he saw, and he shook his head sadly. “Do you remember Tommy?”

“Yeah, vaguely.” Aleks responded, knowing he’d been one of the men that had died when the Hunters had attacked camp.

“That was Sophie’s uncle. He was the only family she had left.” Joe said quietly. “She knows he’s gone, but she’s too young for us to tell her the whole truth.”

Aleks understood; he too wanted to protect the children from the grim nature of the reality of their lives. That night had terrified them all but it was easy to put on a brave face for the children. Fortunately, none of them appeared to be burdened by the trauma of that night, judging from their delighted smiles as they giggled at James.

Soon they wouldn’t be forced to live like this, and the young children would finally experience a good life, safe in California.

Aleks couldn’t wait for that day to arrive. Knowing that they were all going to be saved soon was enough to fuel his hope and faith for a better future.

He was drawn out of his reverie when he noticed James approaching Sophie, and he took a seat beside her on the grass. Aleks was too far away to hear what he was saying to her, but when she gave him a tiny, watery smile, he felt a rush of love and affection for the man he was lucky enough to be with. If anyone could bring joy and happiness to someone crippled with sadness – it would be James.

Then James rose to his feet, and Aleks was surprised when Sophie followed. Shyly, she took his hand, and James led her away, heading over to the other children.

Suddenly an unfamiliar pang struck Aleks’s chest, and he felt his heart clench from the warmth pooling within him. He refused to acknowledge the emotion though, his mind preoccupied by an unexpected concern. “What’s going to happen to the children when we’re taken to California?” He found himself blurting out, and Joe glanced at him in surprise, taken aback by the question.

“What do you mean?”

“When we start a new life in California…what will happen to the kids without any family?” His anxiety was building, beginning to feel distressed as he watched James and Sophie together.

“I haven’t really thought about it.” Joe said warily, now looking as worried as Aleks felt. “I guess Spencer and I could look after a couple of them.”

Aleks nodded vaguely, unable to tear his eyes away from his partner and the small child that was clinging to his hand. It shattered his heart, knowing that Sophie had no one left in the world. No one should be without a family.

“Maybe you and James could…” But Joe didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence before Aleks quickly interrupted him.

“James could.” He responded, knowing that James would be a great father figure. He ignored the traitorous warmth that was beginning to affect him again, forcing himself to speak his next words. “I’m not really…I’m not cut out for that. I’m not good with kids.”

“Liar.” Joe’s quick rebuff cut sharply through Aleks’s denial, and he blinked at his friend in shock. “I’ve seen you with those kids. They adore you. James told them this elaborate tale about how you saved him from an evil monster to explain his absence, and now they all idolize you.”

Aleks was unsure how to reply, and he glanced over at the children, unconvinced by Joe’s words.

But when a couple of the kids noticed him watching them, they beamed at him, waving their tiny hands in the air. “Come and play with us Aleks!” One of the children yelled excitedly.

Mystified, Aleks could only wave back at them, too speechless to form a reply.

“Trust me, you and James would make great fathers.” Joe’s remark was utterly earnest, and Aleks expected to feel panicked by his words, assumed he’d feel dizzy and confused by his friend’s sincerity.  

But he wasn’t any of those things. The future didn’t scare him anymore.

Finally, he acknowledged the warmth coursing through his veins, which was making his heart flutter in his ribcage. It was longing.

A new dawn was on the horizon, a fresh start for everyone. But Aleks wasn’t afraid. He had James, and a future of infinite possibility lay before them. They both knew what they wanted, and it was within their reach.

Yes, his world was James, but there was room for others too. There was definitely space for Jordan and Seamus, and Dexter and Joe, men he now considered his brothers. Maybe that meant there was a place for Sophie too, or for the other children who’d lost everything. Family didn’t need to begin or end with blood, and Aleks had learned to believe that.

_Family; where life begins and love never ends._

He had that with James and the life they were building together…but damn it, everyone else deserved that too. Especially Sophie.

“You should go over and join them.” Joe’s voice startled Aleks out of his reverie, and he rose to his feet, grateful for the reprieve, suddenly needing to be closer to James. He gave his friend a warm, grateful smile before vacating the bench, wiping his hands on a cloth as he approached James and the children that surrounded him.

He couldn’t help but feel slightly nervous, used to being on the side-lines, but the glowing smile James gave him when he reached him immediately dispelled his anxiety.

“Need a hand?” Aleks asked, only to be answered by an almighty roar as all of the children charged at him, and they began to clamber up him like a tree, all seeking his affection. Bemused, he let them, only to topple over from the force, which made James erupt into glorious laughter.

Only Sophie remained at James’s side, and she peered down at Aleks timidly, her hold on James’s hand tightening.

“Alright kids, get ready to play hide and seek.” James announced, saving Aleks as the children immediately climbed off him to begin scattering around the courtyard, seeking out viable hiding places. “Sophie, do you want to help Aleks and I find them?”

Aleks glanced at Sophie, sensing her reluctance as he stood up, brushing the dirt from his clothes. “You handle that.” He said lightly, saving her from voicing her feelings. “I’ll sit out of this round, and make sure no one cheats.”

At his words, Sophie released James’s hand. She continued to stare at Aleks, chewing her lip nervously.

“Want to be my helper Soph?” Aleks asked kindly, relieved when she nodded her head, allowing James to step away and begin counting.

Aleks began to edge towards one of the vacant benches, watching out of the corner of his eye as Sophie followed him dutifully. They sat down together, Aleks putting a space between them, not wanting to scare her or make her feel uncomfortable. He knew she was a lot closer to James, but hoped to secure a bond with her too.

“You have to pay special attention to James. He always peeks.” He said solemnly, hoping to elicit a positive response from the young girl. It worked – Sophie smiled shyly, which delighted Aleks, especially when she inched closer to him, closing the distance between them slightly.

Warmed by her response, Aleks felt brave enough to ask his next question. “Why didn’t you want to play?” He asked gently, hoping his words wouldn’t make her bolt.

They didn’t. Sophie glanced down at her hands, thoughtful as she pondered Aleks’s question. “I get scared.” She whispered eventually. “Scared that when people hide, they don’t come back.” She spoke with such weight that it startled Aleks. Sophie was so young but she spoke with such maturity – proof that her loss had affected her in ways that Aleks couldn’t even begin to comprehend.

He knew though, that she was thinking about her uncle – and possibly the family she’d lost when the virus first struck. “It’s okay to be scared.” He said honestly. “Sometimes I feel scared too.” He did so in that moment, not used to being so open with his emotions, but he knew that it was important to voice them.

He was glad he had when he felt Sophie slip her hand into his, and she leaned into him, resting her head against his arm.

Smiling, Aleks fell silent, and they turned their gaze to James, both feeling content as they watched him interact with the other children, warmed by his light.


	30. XXX: Wings

_Heaven we hope, is just up the road._

_Show me the way Lord; I’m about to explode._

_I’ll carry your world, and all your hurt._

_(Atlas – Coldplay)_

_~_

With change on the horizon, it seemed fitting for the Creature camp to reflect the dynamic shift towards a better future. The first step was acceptance, an acknowledgement of accession, and there was a unanimous desire for everyone to show that they were unafraid of what was to come.

The Creatures were ready for a new life, a better life…but first they had to celebrate the success and triumphs of their current lives. The commemoration occurred in the form of a party, the only one they’d ever held, to hail the government for their rescue endeavour.

There was another reason to rejoice too, but Alek didn’t want to speak of it. The party was also being held in honour of the courage shown during the battle with the Hunters, with most people naming him, James and Jordan as the victorious heroes.

Aleks didn’t want any gratitude, or fame and notoriety. He didn’t deserve them. In all honesty, he’d made those sacrifices for James, and James alone. He’d acted selfishly, only able to think about one man as he’d fought ferociously against the vicious attack.

James and Jordan were the only two worthy of the praise. Their actions had stemmed from their selflessness, the camp citizens their first priority as they’d chased away the Hunters.

Not that James accepted the important role he’d played. Like Aleks, he was reluctant to accept his heroic title. Both men had suffered tremendously, both pushed to the traumatic brink of desperation and violence, and neither were proud of the cruelty and recklessness that they had displayed that night.

Still, they were together, and _happy_. Aleks would drink to that.

He did just that; overjoyed when Jordan unleashed his secret stash of alcohol during the party. There were bottles upon bottles of aged whiskey, beer and ale, and Aleks quickly snatched up a bottle of beer before returning to the basement to enjoy the party.

Aron had implemented a sound system, and music blared out of crackling, ancient speakers as Aleks navigated his way through masses of dancing campers to find a seat at the side. As content as he felt, he wasn’t ready to grace the camp with his awful dancing, and he made a beeline for a chair when he saw Joe drag Spencer away from it, his desire to dance painted in his eager smile.

Aleks took a long swig from his beer as he sat down, eyes scanning the dancefloor to seek out his partner. It didn’t take him long to find him.

As usual, James was surrounded by a crowd of people, all drawn to his infectious laughter and vibrant vitality. Aleks smiled to himself, understanding the attraction all too well, and he sat back in his chair, tapping his foot to the beat of the music as he watched James dance with Sophie.

They were the embodiment of familial happiness; James was dancing outrageously much to the delight of Sophie, and she erupted into a fit of giggles when James began to twirl her around the dancefloor, their mirrored smiles glowing with joy. It warmed Aleks’s heart, seeing the two of them together, but he hadn’t shared his thoughts about the future with either her or James. No one knew of his adoption plans apart from Joe, and he’d sworn not to voice Aleks’s wish.

There wasn’t much point in setting anything in stone; their new life was still a long way off. He’d voice his yearning when the time was right; for now, he’d settle for forming a close bond with the young girl, wanting a rapport like the one she had with James.

So lost in his thoughts, he didn’t realise that James had left the dancefloor – until he noticed Sophie take a seat beside him. “What are you drinking?” She asked him, eyeing the unfamiliar bottle in his hand.

Aleks smiled ruefully, knowing she was far too young for the truth. “Doesn’t matter. You wouldn’t like it.” He said honestly, though he should have known that wasn’t enough of an answer to abide a child’s natural curiosity.

Sophie leaned forward to inspect the bottle closer, only to recoil in horror after taking an experimental sniff. “It smells funny.” She stated, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

Aleks grinned, and he leaned over to ruffle her hair, chuckling when she ducked out of his reach. “Bored of dancing already?” He asked her, subtly changing the subject.

“A little.” Smothering a yawn, she slumped against him, tucking into his side. “I’m sleepy.”

Touched by the gesture and her open honesty, Aleks gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, supporting her. “So where did my handsome prince run off to?” He asked her lightly, knowing she would know who he was talking about. “Did he get tired too?”

“I don’t know. He went off with Jordan.” Sophie responded, jutting her lower lip out. “He was supposed to teach me a new dance move.”

Aleks shared her disgruntlement; disappointed that he wouldn’t get the chance to see more of James’s experimental dancing.

“When are you and James getting married?”

Sophie’s question caught Aleks completely off-guard, and he suddenly felt faint. “What?” He managed to utter, incapable of saying anything else.

“When you’re in love, you get married.” Sophie remarked, speaking with so much wisdom that Aleks was struck by how grown-up she was for her age: a child forced to mature by a vastly changing world. “So when are you going to marry James?”

As astounded as he’d initially been by her abrupt question, he wasn’t confused by his answer. After Aron and Jordan’s teasing comments in the past, hints at an engagement and marriage, Aleks had been given ample time to consider them – especially when he’d sat by James’s hospital bed on that fateful night, watching his soulmate fight for his life.

Aleks knew that they were going to be together for the rest of their lives, but he wanted everyone else to know that too. He wanted to belong to James, he needed to be _his_. Marriage would bind them together, the universal symbol of love and commitment, and Aleks wanted it. He wanted it badly.

Before he could answer Sophie, Joe appeared to ask her if she’d like to dance.

Aleks waved her away, needing to be alone so that he could seek out James and possibly broach the subject of their future together. Sophie gave him a bright smile as Joe whisked her away, and that’s all the encouragement Aleks needed. He quickly downed the rest of his beer and headed for the basement stairs, wanting to make a pit stop at the storage room to help himself to the hidden stash of alcohol before he sought out his boyfriend.

As he browsed the remaining bottles of liquor, contemplating his options, he suddenly heard James and Jordan’s voices outside of the door.

Aleks was about to announce his presence but something in their tones made him stay silent. He heard them walk past the storage room, their voices fading away, but not enough that Aleks couldn’t hear them.

“You really love him, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Well after the crazy way he acted that night, I know Aleks feels the same way about you.”

Aleks immediately felt guilty, not meaning to eavesdrop on a conversation that was clearly meant to be private, shared only between two close friends. He immediately crept to the door, peering out to see James and Jordan at the end of the corridor, their backs to him.

They were far away enough that Aleks knew he could make his escape back to the basement, but Jordan’s next words made him freeze.

“Do you miss him?”

Aleks was momentarily confused…until he realised that they were no longer talking about him.

“Ryan?” James sounded just as surprised by Jordan’s question. “I don’t feel his loss as much as I used to. Does that make me a bad person?”

Aleks winced at the mention of James’s former partner’s name, knowing the grief that James had suffered when he’d lost Ryan to the infection. James may have been his first and only love, but Aleks knew that he wasn’t James’s. He’d accepted that and made his peace…but hearing Jordan and James discuss Ryan so openly hurt him a little.

He’d wanted to have a conversation like this with James…but evidently he was only comfortable talking about his past with Jordan.

“Ryan’s been dead for a long time.” Jordan responded steadily, a twinge of sympathy in his voice. “Don’t feel guilty for falling in love more than once. What you and Aleks have is special.”

As guilty as Aleks felt for listening to their conversation, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.

“He gives me a reason to live.” He heard James confess quietly, and Aleks wanted nothing more than to shower his boyfriend with the love and affection he undoubtedly deserved, touched by his words.

“I’d say the feeling’s mutual.” Jordan said lightly. “Aleks looks at you like you’re his entire world.”

Aleks couldn’t help but roll his eyes, berating himself mildly for being so open with his love for James. But he didn’t regret it, not one bit.

“You’re no better really, with the way you look at him.” Jordan continued, and Aleks daringly snuck a glance at him, wondering where this conversation was going. “I’m just surprised it took me so long to realise the way you both felt about each other. It was pretty obvious, even from the beginning.”

Aleks suppressed a snort of disbelief, but James didn’t need to. He scoffed, clearly disagreeing with Jordan’s words. “No it wasn’t.”

Now it was Jordan’s turn to roll his eyes. “Yes, it was. When Aleks first arrived, he always sought you out. He only had eyes for you…he didn’t really talk to any of us.”

Both Aleks and James were quiet as they listened to Jordan’s words. Aleks couldn’t help but see Jordan’s point – he had been drawn to James, even from the start. He just hadn’t understood _why_ at the time.

“You were worse though. Always trying to keep his undivided attention, whether it was cracking jokes or insulting the others.”

Aleks smiled, thinking back on their earlier memories together. Jordan was right; their feelings for each other was palpably obvious.

“Sometimes I think…” James trailed off, suddenly glancing behind them, but Aleks managed to duck out of sight just in time. He didn’t dare chance another look, but he could hear James’s next words clearly.

“…I think that Aleks and I were meant to find each other. Cry brought us together…its fate that he met Aleks after we lost him.” James broke off to laugh, a sound harsh with disbelief. “Do I sound crazy?”

Aleks didn’t think he did. Everything he’d just said made perfect sense.

He delved deeper into his earlier memories, thinking over the conversations he’d had with Cry in the past. Once, his friend had told him that he’d meet someone at camp, someone that would change his life forever. Aleks had scorned him at the time, his thoughts plagued with bleakness, but Cry had been insistent.

_“You’ll have that feeling one day. Believe me. I have it…and it’s the best. Someone there will change your life…just like someone changed mine.”_

Aleks had always wondered who he’d been talking about, but as he risked another look at James and Jordan, his silent question was answered. Judging from the raw pain in Jordan’s expression, Aleks could make an educated guess about who Cry had been talking about. He felt a sharp pang in his chest, hardly able to comprehend that kind of pain…but he knew that James could.

Now he understood the deep bond between James and Jordan better…but still felt guilty for unintentionally being part of their conversation.

“We should head back to the party.” Jordan said, hiding his agony underneath his mask as leader of the camp, and he forced a smile at James. “People will be wondering where we are.”

The façade would have fooled anyone else, but not James. He drew his friend into a brotherly embrace, clapping him on the back. No words were spoken, but enough was said through the gesture.

Aleks saw Jordan smile, a genuine one this time, and he quickly pulled the door shut to give the two friends some privacy.

He was glad he had done so when he heard them walk past the storage room a couple of moments later, heading back into the basement. He breathed a sigh of relief, quickly snatching up a bottle of whiskey. He needed it after hearing _that_ conversation.

He also needed to be with James, desperately wanting to soothe his pain and inner turmoil. He knew he’d never be able to voice what he’d overheard, knowing that James would be furious with him, but he could be there for him. He didn’t need to have a reason to demonstrate his love.

He lingered in the storage room for a couple of minutes, trying to look as inconspicuous and unsuspicious as possible for when he finally made his way back into the basement.

When he deemed it long enough, he left the small space and re-entered the basement, quickly descending the stairs and immersing himself in the crowd of dancers before James could spot him.

Fortunately, he saw James first, and he caught a glimpse of his curly haired mane on the other side of the dancefloor.

Aleks immediately began to make his way over to him, knowing he’d been seen when James’s face lit up, illuminating the basement with his dazzling, welcoming smile as he watched Aleks approach him.

Aleks was momentarily dazed by the brilliance of James’s love, but entirely grateful for it. “Hey you.” He murmured, closing the distance between them by sliding one arm around James’s neck, drawing them together.

James’s hands found his hips, locking him in place. “Hey yourself. Where have you been?”

Aleks cleverly deflected the question by raising his other arm, showing James the whiskey bottle. “Want to take this party elsewhere?” He asked, biting his lip as James’s eyes began to darken, and he nodded his head. Evidently he wanted to be alone with Aleks too.

Aleks reached down to take one of James’s hands, lacing their fingers together so he could take him to their destination. He only had one place in mind, and he began to lead James towards the stairs.

They ascended the usual route to their room, but Aleks surpassed it, opting to open the door to the roof instead. He’d always thought of it as ‘their spot’, having shared so much and gained so much in that space, and he wanted to create another memory there when he finally shared his thoughts about his future with the man he loved.

For once, there was no one stationed on the roof for patrol, and Aleks ignored the chairs in favour of a seat on the floor. He sank down to the ground, leaning back on his hands to gaze up at the night sky, in no rush to hurry the evening. Tonight was a night for soft stillness, and he was going to savour the abundance of warmth and safety that James’s presence bestowed him.

He took a swig from the whiskey bottle, enjoying the burn in his throat as James sat down beside him, their shoulders gently touching. “I can see a dick.” His boyfriend remarked, pointing up at a set of constellations above them.

Aleks squinted, but couldn’t make out a phallic shape. “Of course you do.” He said dryly, and he reached out to cover James’s hand with his, smiling when James immediately flipped his hand over to tangle their fingers together. “That’s all you ever think about.”

“Not quite true.” James narrowed his eyes at him, in an attempt to look alluring. “I only think about yours.”

Aleks forced himself to look away, not wanting to end the tranquillity between them just yet. They had time for that later. “You better.” He murmured, turning his gaze back to the starry canvas above them.

“Well, what do you see?” James asked, changing the subject when he realised that he wasn’t going to get what he wanted just yet.

The question was innocent enough but Aleks saw _more_ beyond the palette of stars. He saw infinite possibility; he saw a new life. “I see us.” He said honestly. “I see our future.”

“Yeah?” James’s voice was wistful, and Aleks glanced over at him to see him staring thoughtfully up at the sky. “Tell me about it.”

There was Aleks’s opening. He didn’t need to see the stars anymore and he closed his eyes, envisioning the future that he’d conjured over the past couple of weeks. “We’re in California. We look healthier…my hair is shorter, and so is yours. You still wear beanies, and I still wear those brown trousers you hate so much.”

He heard James chuckle quietly but he continued on, wanting to share more of his vision. “We have a house and a dog…no, two dogs. Mishka, and Ein.”

“Exotic names.” He heard James remark, and Aleks smiled.

“Sophie named them.” He told him, seeing her in their future so clearly, part of a familial picture that he’d longed for ever since he’d watched her and James together.

When James didn’t say anything, Aleks opened his eyes warily, wondering if he’d said too much. That had been his first, open offering to include Sophie in their future…and James’s silence scared him.

But to his surprise, James was smiling and Aleks was taken aback by the emotion clouding James’s dark eyes; love, affection…and radiant hope.

Aleks knew then, that was James’s acceptance.

“Are we happy?” James asked softly.

“Yes.” Aleks’s response was simple, but that one word carried so much weight.

James beamed, and Aleks was so warmed by his reaction that he couldn’t stop his next words from forming. “You’ve finally made an honest man out of me too.” He added, hoping that James understood the meaning behind the expression.

“Have I? Are you hinting at a proposal Aleksandr?” James’s smile was blinding, even in the dark, brighter and better than any star in the galaxy.

He took Aleks’s breath away; he was truly blessed to be loved by such a man. “I might be.” He whispered, unable to look away from his boyfriend’s radiance.

“You sure you want to be stuck with me for the rest of your life?” James was still smiling, but the corners of his eyes crinkled – a subtle sign of his insecurity.

“Not really but I’ll take what I can get.” Aleks swiftly responded, hoping to eliminate his anxiety with a joke, playfulness and humour familiar in their relationship. 

James laughed, the sound just as brilliant as his dazzling smile, but the anxious lines remained.

“Seriously though, I’m sure.” Aleks murmured, sitting up so that he could face his partner, needing to eliminate any uncertainty that may remain. “After everything we’ve been through together, I couldn’t imagine a life without you in in it.”

The shy smile James promptly gave him, a smile reserved for his eyes only, meant more to Aleks than any words could. He began to lean in, his eyes drifting closed – only to recoil at James’s next comment.

“Ditto.”

“So romantic.” Aleks muttered, deeming that his boyfriend no longer deserved a kiss. He began to shift away, only for James to quickly reach out and ensnare him in his grasp.

“You know I’m not good at expressing myself.” He said sheepishly, which thawed Aleks’s heart a little. He allowed James to tug him closer, a blissful smile lifting the corners of his mouth when he felt James press his lips to his forehead. “But I can show you what I _am_ good at.”

Aleks knew where this was leading, and he was going to let it happen. For now, he was content to drop the conversation. He knew that James would propose one day, and that they would live the rest of their lives together. They had time to discuss the rest of their future plans later…but for now, he didn’t need words. Only action.

“Demonstrate away.” He whispered, the words barely leaving his lips as James suddenly kissed him, his hands reaching up to cradle Aleks’s face lovingly.

Underneath the blanket of stars, the lovers were concealed from the rest of the world. Every kiss was reverent, every touch a promise of eternal devotion…and in that moment, the universe belonged to them.

_~_

James and Aleks had no choice in their past, or their present.

But that night, they wrote their future together in the stars, whispering promises in the dark with soft hands and eager mouths. It was enough of a beautiful promise to last them a lifetime.

The future was bright.

The future was theirs.

_Fin._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's a wrap people! Thank you for taking the time to read my story - I'm overwhelmed by the lovely responses from you all. Look out for my next multi-chapter story which will be titled 'Lost and Found', and of course it's NovaHD. This isn't the last you've seen of me :)


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